MWELA ROCK ART
PAINTINGS IN ZAMBIA
G'day folks,
Australia possesses some extraordinary rock art, but here is some work found in Zambia. It is one of the largest concentrations of rock paintings in Southern Africa.
Head to the outskirts of Kasama, and you’ll find a series of rock
outcroppings containing hundreds of paintings from Stone Age
communities. It’s one of the largest collections of such paintings in
all of Southern Africa.
The rock outcroppings, which dominate the local landscape, contain
numerous caves and were a natural gathering point for both animals and
ancient humans. The majority of the paintings there are attributed to
the Batwa.
The paintings at the site, which covers an area of about 40 square
miles, fall into two distinct categories. Some have a geometric or
schematic style, while others follow a more realistic animal tradition.
The geometric paintings include dots and lines arranged in squares,
grids, circles, and ladders. Animals depicted in the paintings include
elephants, elands, lions, bush pigs, and praying mantis. The paintings
are thought to have either been guides to the animals that people hunted
or used for ceremonies such as weather divination.
Nearby archaeological digs have discovered Stone Age tools. These
artifacts include blades, bored stones, dimpled anvils, grindstones,
axes, and microliths. These tools, along with the rock painting, show
that the area around modern Kasama has been continuously inhabited for
thousands of years.
Clancy's comment: I find these fascinating. How they have lasted for so long is amazing, and I wonder what rock art is yet to be found.
I'm ...
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