Bushman rock-art in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg
There are many sites of San rock-art paintings in the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg. Approximately 20 000 of them have been recorded at 500 different sites, and they are among South Africa’s most precious cultural treasures.
Today, these paintings are greatly respected, as they provide not only an insight into, but a narrative tale of the lives of the ancient San bushmen. The San people did not wish to simply replicate what they saw by painting pictures of sacred animals on rocks. Their intention was to create portals to the spiritual world, which was so central to their being, and to reflect on their experiences of spiritual trance with the key figures in their beliefs, the animals.
There are many rock art sites that can be visited along various hikes in the Drakensberg. But the most popular site for tourists is the Kamberg Rock Art Centre. Situated in the Kamberg Nature Reserve in the World Heritage Site of the uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, visitors can take a rock-art trail to open their eyes and minds to the wonder of these special, spiritual creations of the great San people.
The rock-art site now visited at the Kamberg centre was the first rock-art site in South Africa to be known in other parts of the world.
Getting there: from Durban, take the N3 to Howick. Here, take the R103 going to Nottingham Road, and follow the signs to the Kamberg Nature Reserve.
| More info on the town of Kamberg | More info on the Drakensberg area |
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