Southern African     Rock Art

• Both engravings and painting are widely distributed throughout southern Africa.
• These are called San paintings, because we have literature on San doing painting in the 18th and 19th centuries.
• The oldest paintings date to 28,000 BP.
• Healing ceremonies, visions, and animals are depicted.

Painting of Underwater Scene

Characteristics:

• This painting is an underwater scene of a water buffalo, humans, and snakes.
• This has been interpreted as representing the vision of a shaman or healer.

Healing scene

    Characteristics:

• The painting has been interpreted as representing healers in altered states of consciousness.  Healing rituals are performed by the San today.
• In this painting the healers are surrounded by observers who appear to be clapping their hands.

Therianthrope

• Painting of a shaman in transformation.

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This website was created and modified by Cynthia Becker, Bolaji Campbell and Janine Sytsma with Professor Henry Drewal. It was last modified August 31st, 2007.
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