2. Rock Art in Africa

5. Map of North Africa

6. And in the Namib Desert of southern Africa.
Engravings and paintings on rock surfaces found in the Tassili Plateau, Algeria
And in the Namib Desert of southern Africa.
Well over 30, 000 sites have been discovered
Rock 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 ( BP)
Characteristics: a) Large scale animals incised and engraved on rock surfaces
b) Naturalistic representations of animals: elephants, buffalo, hippopotamuses,
giraffe, antelopes
c) many of the animals are now extinct
2. Pastoral Period ( BP)
Characteristics: a) smaller scale paintings done with red and white pigments
b) Depictions of cattle with humans
c) Fairly accurate details in terms of proportions, colors etc
d) Depiction of humans engaged in different activities including sports and warfare

7. further sub divided into: Horse and Chariot sub-period
3. Horse Period: BP
further sub divided into:
Horse and Chariot sub-period
Characteristics: human figures become bi-triangular
Head size shrinks
Small weapons and horse drawn chariots appear
4. Camel Period: 2700 BP
Characteristics: Quite possibly the most recent period of rock art painted
by the present inhabitants of the Sahara
Horses are depicted with Arabic fittings
Human figures are very small and depictions of camels are common

8. Elephant, Rock Engraving, Bubalus/Cattle Period

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

10. Niola Doa (Beautiful Ladies)
Chad Republic
Pastoral Period
Rock engraving,
(note the vertical grooves
supposedly created in recent
times, by women to increase
their fertility)

11. Mother and child scene,
Rock painting,
Tassili N’Ajer, southern Algeria
Pastoralist Period BP

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

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

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

15. Figure with mask like head, Rock Painting, Tassili, Southern Algeria
(10, BP)

16. Faceless figure, Painting, Tassili, Archaic Period

17. Stylized figures with cattle
And horse drawn chariot

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

19. Two horse chariot and a man in skirt, southern Algeria
Though the horses are depicted in profile, the chariot is seen from an
Angle where the wheels are seen in perspective

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

21. Herdsman with cattle
Painting,
Cattle/Pastoralist Period,

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

23. Map of southern Africa

24. Panoramic view of the Drakensberg mountains

25. The oldest painting dates to 28, 000 BP
Engravings and paintings are widely distributed throughout southern Africa
The oldest painting dates to 28, 000 BP
They 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 healers
Healers in altered states of consciousness
Healing rituals still being performed today by the San Peoples

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

27. White lady of Brandberg, Namibia, Southern Africa

28. White Lady of Brandberg,
Dark skin male figure covered with
White paint or ostrich egg/pigments,
San Painting, Polychrome
Namibia

29. Abstracted figures,
San peoples
Polychrome
Tanzania

30. Zebra, San Peoples, Polychrome, Zimbabwe

31. Antelopes, San Painting, Polychrome, South Africa

32. Battle scene with the British
San Painting
Polychrome
South Africa

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

34. Eland and Wildebeest
Rock Engravings
San Peoples,
Northern Cape, South Africa

35. San religious ceremony,
Polychrome,
South Africa

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

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

38. San healing ritual ceremony, early 20th century

39. “Recent” San trance ritual ceremony

40. San healing ritual ceremony

41. Therianthrope
San Peoples

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

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

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

45. A family of Rhinos,
San peoples,
Polychrome
Botswana, Southern Africa