A look at southern Africa Rock Art

A look at southern Africa Rock Art

The Bushmen paintings and engravings date back to thousands of years ago. They are found all over the southern half of Africa in overhangs and caves. There are extraordinary still very vivid pictures of hunters, animals, and half-animal half-human hybrids. The half-human hybrids are believed to be the healers or medicine men. Their depictions of these healers, give us evidence that they did do the healing dances. The Laurens van der Post panel at Tsodilo and the Namibian found "white Lady (Brandberg Mountain)" is one of the most famous rock paintings. High on this rock face in Botswana is the image of a “magnificent red eland bull” painted, according to Van der Post, “only as a Bushman who had a deep identification with the eland could have painted him.” Also on this rock face is a female giraffe that is motionless like it is alarmed by a predator. Several other images of animals are on it also, along with the flesh blood-red handprints that are the signature of the unknown artist. H. C. Woodhouse, author of the book Archaeology in Southern Africa, says historical sources have also said that Bushmen often disguised themselves as animals so they could get close enough to grazing herds to hunt them. The head of the buck was an important part of this disguise, and was also used in miming and dancing of the actions of animals. The large number of buckheaded figures in paintings is proof that the Bushmen did this. Check out this thorough article (The Bradshaw Foundation) by clicking here.