San Rock Art Paintings

How old are the paintings what did they paint with and what are the images meant to represent.

San rock art paintings.

One of the most significant pieces of rock art found in south africa was found on linton farm in the eastern cape. One of the san shaman s tasks was to make rain. The area most famous for its art san paintings is the ukhahlamba drakensberg national park and world heritage site in kwazulu natal around the border with lesotho. Its blood and milk would then become rain.

The san or bushmen are indigenous people in southern africa particularly in what is now south africa and botswana their ancient rock paintings and carvings collectively called rock art are found in caves and on rock shelters the artwork depicts non human beings hunters and half human half animal hybrids. Follow bradshawfnd on twitter. The san rock art paintings. The san thought of the rain as an animal.

The san rock art gives us clues about their social and belief systems. Figures painted in the bending forward. Sven ouzman explains why the rosetta stone panel in game pass shelter at kamberg is the key panel in san rock art. The shamans would capture this imaginary animal lead it to the place where they wanted rain and kill it.

Archaeologist and rock art specialist dr. Art by the khoi people was geometric in design very different from the san rock art. How old is san rock art. Once destroyed it is gone forever.

Follow bradshawfnd on twitter. The law protects all rock art in south africa and visitors to rock art sites must observe certain rules and. When looking at san rock art and bushman paintings the usual questions that come to mind are. A rock painting discovered at blombos cave is the oldest known instance of human art dating to around 73 000.

San rock art faqs. The oldest rock paintings they created are in namibia and have been radiocarbon dated to be 26 000 years old. The half human hybrids are believed to be medicine men or healers involved in a. The san rock art paintings.

South africa has a large amount of rock art both paintings and engravings which are scattered over a vast area. Dating san rock art dating the rock art is extremely difficult. Each site is unique and important. In the 1930s an old part san man who had observed san painters demonstrated the process as he remembered it and stated that he needed eland blood to mix with the pigment undoubtedly a symbolic and magical ingredient.

Rock paintings and engravings were of deep importance to the people who made them. San rock art khoekhoe paintings made by the khoi and northern sotho paintings. Rock art is a non renewable resource. Please treat them with care and respect.