Around 5,000–6,000 years ago, the Sahara was still a green savannah, populated by numerous human groups, herds of cattle and a rich variety of large wildlife. Then a process of aridification set in, transforming the central parts of the Sahara into the hyper-arid desert it is today. As a result, the Sahara became largely depopulated. With the onset of the colonial era, a ‘reconquest’ of the desert by humans began, which has left profound marks on the region to this day. These include urbanisation, mining or vast irrigation projects. This lecture seeks to discuss the role of humans in the Sahara’s landscape transitions—initially driven by climate and later primarily by anthropogenic factors—over the millennia. It raises the question as to what extent the desert was formerly and is today evolving into a space beyond the Anthropocene.
