The Sahara: a green and pleasant land
Martin Williams discusses the Sahara’s surprisingly verdant history, revealing how it was once home to lakes, rivers, humans and hippos
The Sahara is known as one of the world’s hottest and driest environments, but during his explorations of the desert over the past 60 years, Martin Williams has discovered evidence of a green and pleasant history. He explains to Spencer Mizen how the area was once home to lakes, rivers, humans and hippos.
Martin Williams is the author of When the Sahara Was Green: How Our Greatest Desert Came to Be (Princeton University Press, 2021)
Authors
Spencer is senior production editor of BBC History Magazine
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