Twyfelfontein
The Brandberg massif is a large granite elevation in the north-west of Namib Desert; in this area more than 1000 painted rock shelters were found. Twyfelfontein site contains about 2500 rock engraving on 200 sandstone slabs.
Photo gallery.
by † Leonardo Gribaudo
 TRACCE PHP-Nuke version, 2002-2011 |
Rock Paintings and engravings in Namibia
Brandberg and Twyfelfontein
The Brandberg massif is a large granite elevation (30 km long and 25 km wide) in the north west of Namib Desert; in this area more than 1000 painted rock shelters were found. The most famous is the so called “Withe Lady”. White body paint was used for ceremonial purposes: some figures in this painting display withe and red body paint and are superimposed to older and simpler monochrome human figures in “bushman-style”.
Material found in archaeological excavation nearby was dated to 2700 years.
Twyfelfontein site contains about 2500 rock engraving on 200 sandstone slabs. A small number of simple rock paintings is also visible under small shelters. The subject of engravings are animals (and their spoor): elephant, rhinoceros, giraffe, antelops, lion, ostrich and few humans hands an footprints. Various engraving techniques were used, some figures are only outlined, others are filled. The rendering of details of animals bodies is also very different.
The complex belongs to a Late Stone Age hunter-gatherer culture, going back in time up to 20000 years
Photogallery – pictures courtesy of † Leonardo Gribaudo
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