The Sahara is the largest hot desert in the world, covering an area that is about as large as the United States and growing (an environmental phenomenon that is contributing to the Darfur Crisis and religious extremism). However the area covered by the desert has gone through numerous fluctuations over the millennia. Even today, despite the Sahara's reputation as a vast, parched wasteland it actually contains a number of oases that allow those who know how to read the signs to safely traverse the desert. This allowed the civilizations of Mali and Ghana to trade with the Mediterranean World.
In the past the Sahara was much smaller and areas that are now barren were grasslands similar to the regions we today call the Sahel. Early humans lived in this region, and apparently domesticated some plants and animals. This article from National Geographic is about an ancient burial ground from one of these civilizations that was accidentally discovered by scientists searching for dinosaur fossils. This story shows how much the environment has changed over time, and how we continue to be dependent on it.
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