Rock Art Research Institute (RARI)
University of the Witwatersrand
Below are 2 paintings from the Western Cape. The left is of San art women, In San art women are depicted less frequently than men. The reason for this is still debated. It seems likely to be a product of the dominant male role in negotiations with the spirit realm. Four times more men than women are regular trancers.
The right painting from the Western Cape depicts a bird diving down the rock face. It has been identified as an Ethiopian Snipe. This species is active at dawn and dusk. Its big eyes are a reminder that the shaman was able to see in the darkness, far beyond the ordinary limits of human sight. The dots surrounding the bird's body are not naturalistic and may represent potency.
If this bird is a transformed shaman then the dots may also represent the tingling sensation that is experienced during trance.
Whereas paintings tend to be found in the more mountainous areas, engravings are found in the boulder strewn plains of the South African interior. Here, in the Northern Cape, an animal has been engraved by scratching away the rock patina.
The igneous landscapes of the interior often convey the impression of an otherworldly place. Against the dark rock, engravings such as these three elephants, stand out very clearly. In spite of such a striking visual presence, engravings are destroyed every year during dam, pipeline and other construction projects.
