Rock Art in Africa

Map of North Africa

Engravings and paintings on rock surfaces found in the Tassili Plateau, AlgeriaAnd in the Namib Desert of southern Africa.

Well over 30, 000 sites have been discoveredRock Art indicates that there has been human habitation in the Sahara from 8000 BP

Paintings and Engravings in the Sahara are categorized into 4 periods:1. Archaic/ Bubalous Period (8000-7000 BP)

Characteristics: a) Large scale animals incised and engraved on rock surfacesb) Naturalistic representations of animals: elephants, buffalo, hippopotamuses,

giraffe, antelopes c) many of the animals are now extinct

2. Pastoral Period (6000-2200 BP)Characteristics: a) smaller scale paintings done with red and white pigments

b) Depictions of cattle with humansc) Fairly accurate details in terms of proportions, colors etc

d) Depiction of humans engaged in different activities including sports and warfare

3. Horse Period: 3200-1200 BPfurther sub divided into:

Horse and Chariot sub-periodCharacteristics: human figures become bi-triangular

Head size shrinksSmall weapons and horse drawn chariots appear

4. Camel Period: 2700 BPCharacteristics: Quite possibly the most recent period of rock art painted

by the present inhabitants of the Saharaa) Horses are depicted with Arabic fittings

b) Human figures are very small and depictions of camels are common

Elephant, Rock Engraving, Bubalus/Cattle Period

Super imposition,Elephant and Giraffes,Engraving,Fezan Region, Libya After 8000 BCAppr. 10, 000 BP

Niola Doa (Beautiful Ladies)Chad RepublicPastoral PeriodRock engraving,(note the vertical groovessupposedly created in recenttimes, by women to increasetheir fertility)

Mother and child scene,Rock painting,Tassili N’Ajer, southern AlgeriaPastoralist Period7000-4000 BP

Hairdressing in the Akakus Mountains, Libya. The scene reflects the recent lifestyleof modern Fulani peoples who dress their hair in similar manner and may link the Paintings to their ancestors. Pigment on rock, 6000 BP

Two lovers holding hands super imposed on faint but visible images of animals in White pigment, Western Chad Republic

Cattle Rock painting, Cattle Period, Tassili, Southern Algeria, (10,000-8,000 BP)

Figure with mask like head, Rock Painting, Tassili, Southern Algeria(10,000-8000 BP)

Faceless figure, Painting, Tassili, Archaic Period

Stylized figures with cattleAnd horse drawn chariot

Horse-drawn chariot, Painting, Chariot sub period, Tassili, Algeria

Two horse chariot and a man in skirt, southern AlgeriaThough the horses are depicted in profile, the chariot is seen from anAngle where the wheels are seen in perspective

An engraving in the north wall of the Temple of Karnak, at Luxor, EgyptThis chariot closely resembles paintings and engravings of horse drawn chariot in the Sahara

Herdsman with cattlePainting,Cattle/Pastoralist Period,

Camel, Painting, Late/Camel Period, Tassili, Algeria

Map of southern Africa

Panoramic view of the Drakensberg mountains

Engravings and paintings are widely distributed throughout southern AfricaThe oldest painting dates to 28, 000 BPThey were created by the San peoples

The paintings depict healing ceremonies, visions, and realistic and abstract depictions of animals

Characteristics: under water scenes of water buffalo, humans and snakes

Visions of shaman or healersHealers in altered states of consciousness

Healing rituals still being performed today by the San Peoples

Art mobile—art mobilier, Rock painting, San Peoples, (28,000 BP)

White lady of Brandberg, Namibia, Southern Africa

White Lady of Brandberg,Dark skin male figure covered with White paint or ostrich egg/pigments,San Painting, PolychromeNamibia

Abstracted figures,San peoplesPolychromeTanzania

Zebra, San Peoples, Polychrome, Zimbabwe

Antelopes, San Painting, Polychrome, South Africa

Battle scene with the BritishSan Painting PolychromeSouth Africa

Animal scene--Lion, Giraffe, horses, polychrome, South Africa

Eland and WildebeestRock EngravingsSan Peoples,Northern Cape, South Africa

San religious ceremony, Polychrome,South Africa

Dancing Figures, San Peoples, polychrome, Drakensberg Mountains,South Africa

Drawing after a painting depicting a ritual ceremony---note the depiction/presence of phospheme

San healing ritual ceremony, early 20th century

“Recent” San trance ritual ceremony

San healing ritual ceremony

TherianthropeSan Peoples

Shaman’s X-ray vision, rock painting, south African

Therianthrope and Eland, San Peoples, Polychrome, Eastern Cape, South Africa

Shaman in Trance, San Painting, Polychrome, Makoni, Zimbabwe

A family of Rhinos,San peoples,PolychromeBotswana, Southern Africa