Now also online, my South Western Cape Rock Art Webpage!
These images have been collected from three sites in western Namibia: Maack’s Shelter in the Brandberg, Twyfelfontein, and Piet Alberts Kopjes. Maack’s Shelter is a granite overhang in the Tsisab ravine that is filled with an immense number of paintings. While the site was given undue and preposterous credit for containing a depiction of a European figure dubbed the “White Lady” (which has since been proven to be neither white, nor a lady), Maack’s Shelter does contain a number of legitimate marvels. Twyfelfontein is probably the most densely engraved site in southern Africa. There are at least 2,500 engraved figures on the sandstone boulders covering the slopes of the site. In addition to the massive numbers of engravings, there are also a few paintings at the site, as well. This makes it one of the few sites in southern Africa where paintings and engravings may be found together. Piet Alberts Kopjes contains hundreds of engravings, as well. These engravings were laboriously carved out of hard granite kopje, and are quite remarkable, given the difficult medium. What makes these three sites more remarkable it that they are less an a hundred miles apart. This makes this tiny corner of semi-desert a Mecca of rock art research on the subcontinent.
I have presented the following images without giving an interpretation. I leave interpretation (being the most difficult aspect of this research) to the viewer. If anyone desires an interpretation, I would be glad to provide one on request. I have also published an article on engraved tracks at these three sites, entitled Following Tracks, in Tracce, the online rock art bulletin.
There are about a dozen images from each site, which I provide previews for. I have enhanced most of the images slightly. I wish to make the following images available to all rock art researchers and organizations. Feel free to make use of the images, as long as no profit is derived from their use, and some tiny form of credit is imparted to me for their creation. I would also appreciate some form of notification, just so I can keep track of their use. Thank you for complying.
View the Brandberg.
View Twyfelfontein.
View Piet Alberts Kopjes.
Copyright 1997, 1999, Grant S. McCall. All rights reserved.Grant S. McCall.