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David N
Hall lead an expedition from Sandhurst during the summer holiday to south east
Libya. He was doing a tour as a military instructor and took a
team of 15, mostly cadets, to Libya for adventure training and
exploration of a desert plateau, the Hamada el Akdamin. The
expedition was in the hottest time of the year, so acclimatization was
taken with care. |
For a full account -
an extract from Hall's memoir
On the long journey down to
Kufra. Then 100 miles to Maaten Bisciara and 90 miles on to the
southern end of the plateau.
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No satellite navigation in
1963! David Hall preparing the theodolite for night work.
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Taking the altitude of stars
for a position fix from at least three satrs.
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Final check of the chronometer
from the wireless before taking theodolite readings. |
Dead reckoning by sun compass
- dead on course for Maaten Bisciara. |
This natural shelter provided
a good navigational aid and a useful dump between the well and the
working area. |
The first signs of Neolithic
man found by the team: a stone circle. |
A short wadi leading down from
the plateau. |
On the plateau looking down
over the desert. |
A magnificent scraper found on
the plateau, probably last used about four thousands of years ago. |
Some of the querns, grinders
and other Neolithic tools. |
Samples of pottery (sadly
photographically reversed!) |
Professor Martin Williams taking notes
of the day's finds. |
The south east corner of
Hamada el Akdamin. |
Over a thousand gallons of
water demonstrated heavy rain in the area. |
Hamada el Akdamin
Map prepared by Martin Williams
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