Rock Art in Africa
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Transcript of Rock Art in Africa
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