Harmony with nature on the rocks
Submitted by Andy B on Tuesday, 28 November 2006 Page Views: 1652
Rock ArtCountry: South Africa Type: Rock ArtInternal Links:
In the caves of South Africa's Cederberg mountains, an ancient people left a legacy of rock art that could teach modern man a valuable lesson or two about living in harmony with nature. That is the view of John Parkington, professor of archaeology at the University of Cape Town, who has spent 40 years in the Cederberg researching rock paintings and other artefacts left by the pre-colonial hunter-gatherers who once roamed southern Africa.
The Bushmen, or San, left tens of thousands of paintings in ochre and clay, most depicting humans or three or four key animal species, and some showing men with the heads of animals.
Parkington launched the Living Landscape Project in the Cederberg town of Clanwilliam, about 250km north of Cape Town, five years ago to increase understanding of the region's archaeological assets and use them to attract tourists.
The project has trained local people to work as guides to the rock art sites. Some are members of South Africa's mixed-race, or coloured, population who trace their ancestry back to the hunter-gatherers.
Parkington believes the pictures some painted as recently as 200 years ago, others up to 10,000 years old reflect the way the hunter-gatherers saw nature and their place in it, and include elements of shamanism.
More in the The Brunei Times
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