DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.66493#0052
solely with animals and, with one ex-
ception, never portray more than one
of these at a time. They are done on
hard rock, dolerite or basalt, and fav-
or the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus,
the antelope and the giraffe. They
are not very large and are seldom
contour engravings as in the Sahara
Atlas. In the main, the artist punches
away the whole inner surface of his
composition and does it so skillfully
that often the pattern of the skin and
the bony substructure of the animal
he portrays are visible. From the
technical standpoint some of these
engravings are among the finest pic-
tures we know of in the South Afri-
Rock engraving. Two giraffes. West
Transvaal, South African Union
can field. The stone artifacts which have been excavated near them
are of the Smithfield culture, the origin of which is obscure and in
which North African neolithic as well as South African paleolithic
elements are present. On the other hand archaeological material
found in some of the rock shelters where paintings occur is definitely
paleolithic.
SOUTHWEST AFRICA
The main rock picture district of Southwest Africa reaches from the
Nau Gap, south of Rehobott, northward to Outjo near the Ovamba-
land border. Here again there are both paintings and engravings. The
latter, in the north of the district, depict animals, human and animal
footprints and, more rarely, degenerate geometric signs. The human
footprints are believed to indicate the direction of waterholes and the
animal tracks to tell the hunter that he has entered the territory of
such and such a tribe whose game he may not shoot and whose crops,
50
ception, never portray more than one
of these at a time. They are done on
hard rock, dolerite or basalt, and fav-
or the rhinoceros, the hippopotamus,
the antelope and the giraffe. They
are not very large and are seldom
contour engravings as in the Sahara
Atlas. In the main, the artist punches
away the whole inner surface of his
composition and does it so skillfully
that often the pattern of the skin and
the bony substructure of the animal
he portrays are visible. From the
technical standpoint some of these
engravings are among the finest pic-
tures we know of in the South Afri-
Rock engraving. Two giraffes. West
Transvaal, South African Union
can field. The stone artifacts which have been excavated near them
are of the Smithfield culture, the origin of which is obscure and in
which North African neolithic as well as South African paleolithic
elements are present. On the other hand archaeological material
found in some of the rock shelters where paintings occur is definitely
paleolithic.
SOUTHWEST AFRICA
The main rock picture district of Southwest Africa reaches from the
Nau Gap, south of Rehobott, northward to Outjo near the Ovamba-
land border. Here again there are both paintings and engravings. The
latter, in the north of the district, depict animals, human and animal
footprints and, more rarely, degenerate geometric signs. The human
footprints are believed to indicate the direction of waterholes and the
animal tracks to tell the hunter that he has entered the territory of
such and such a tribe whose game he may not shoot and whose crops,
50