Southern and Eastern African Rock Art
Southern and Eastern African Rock Art encompasses a rich tradition of prehistoric art created primarily by the San people, dating back as far as 25,500 years ago. Found in caves and rock shelters across Namibia and South Africa, these artworks include up to 20,000 paintings that depict animals, religious rituals, and daily life of hunter-gatherer societies. The pigments used are primarily mineral-based, including iron and manganese oxides, and many paintings were created in sheltered locations to protect the artistry. The practice of layering paintings suggests a ritualistic aspect, as artists often painted over earlier works, indicating ongoing cultural significance. Contemporary interpretations view these artists as shamans, with the paintings serving as spiritual revelations and expressions of trance-inducing experiences. Notably, the engraved images, which date back to around 9,000 B.C.E., involve techniques that simulate texture, enhancing the visual impact of the figures. This rock art not only provides insight into the lives of early African societies but also reflects their deep connection to spiritual practices and the natural world.
Southern and Eastern African Rock Art
Related civilizations: East and South Africa.
Date: c. 23,000 b.c.e.-700 c.e.
Locale: Southern Africa and Zimbabwe
Southern and Eastern African Rock Art
Images painted on rock slabs found in Apollo II cave in Namibia have been dated between 25,500 and 17,500 b.c.e. Engraved images in stone have been dated to 9000 b.c.e. These images portray animals, religious rituals, and everyday activities of the hunter-gatherers known as the San. Estimates place the number of paintings as up to 20,000, dating from the earliest times to 1800 c.e. Paintings from caves and shelters in Zimbabwe date as early as 12,000 b.c.e. A cave with the most artistically complex paintings was abandoned by 4000 b.c.e.
Most paintings were done where rock overhangs sheltered the painted surface. The pigments are minerals such as iron and manganese oxides. Artists often painted over earlier paintings, indicating that the act of painting was a ritual. People currently living in the area consider the painters to have been shamans and the paintings to be revelations of the spirit world. Dance images relate to experiences that induced trances for the shaman.
Engraved images were made by abrading the surface within the outline of the figure, simulating the figure’s texture.
Bibliography
Garlake, Peter. The Hunter’s Vision: The Prehistoric Art of Zimbabwe. Seattle: University of Washington Press, 1995.
Lewis-Williams, J. D., and T. A. Dowson. Rock Paintings of the Natal Drakensberg. Pietermaritzburg, South Africa: University of Natal Press, 1992.