page_title: Bidzar
section_title: Site Description
hierarchical_section_title: Bidzar / Site Description
caption_attribution_description: Français&#160;: Les gravures rupestres du site archéologique de Bidzar, situées sur la route nationale numéro 1 entre Figuil et Maroua. Gravures ayant plusieurs siècles d'existences.
context_page_description: Bidzar is an archaeological site 20 kilometres from Guider, Cameroon, featuring petroglyphs between 3000 and 300 years old. The site, currently under threat from local cement and marble manufacturing operations, is being considered for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage list of sites with "outstanding universal value" to the world.
context_section_description: The Bidzar petroglyphs are located near Bidzar village, on the Maroua-Garoua road toward Guider. An area of marble flagstone extending around the village circa 2.5 kilometres (1.6 mi) from north to south, and 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) from east to west displays around 500 engraved figures in total. The marble is of a calcareous type called cipolin; it has an ideal composition for engraving, having low resistance to friction and breaking easily. Figures were engraved into the marble using a hammer and an engraving tool. The figures are mostly geometrical, consisting of groups of circles, some isolated and some in groups. It has been speculated that the engraving represent concepts or stories from myths, or elaborate a cosmogeny.
caption: Bidzar archeological site towards Guider
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