page_title: San rock art
hierarchical_section_title: San rock art
caption_attribution_description: English: My image from the Cederberg, South Africa, Feb 2007
context_page_description: The San, or Bushmen, are indigenous people in Southern Africa particularly in what is now South Africa and Botswana. Their ancient rock paintings and carvings are found in caves and on rock shelters. The artwork depicts non-human beings, hunters, and half-human half-animal hybrids. The half-human hybrids are believed to be medicine men or healers involved in a healing dance.” A painting discovered at Blombos Cave is thought to be the oldest known instance of human art, dating to around 73,000 years ago.
  Gall writes, “The Laurens van der Post panel at Tsodilo is one of the most famous rock paintings.” High on this rock face in Botswana is the image of a “magnificent red eland bull” painted, according to Van der Post, “only as a Bushman who had a deep identification with the eland could have painted him.” Also on this rock face is a female giraffe that is motionless, as if alarmed by a predator. Several other images of animals are depicted there too, along with the flesh blood-red handprints that are the signature of the unknown artist. The Drakensberg and Lesotho is particularly well known for its San rock art.
context_section_description: The San, or Bushmen, are indigenous people in Southern Africa particularly in what is now South Africa and Botswana. Their ancient rock paintings and carvings (collectively called rock art) are found in caves and on rock shelters. The artwork depicts non-human beings, hunters, and half-human half-animal hybrids.  The half-human hybrids are believed to be medicine men or healers involved in a healing dance.” A painting discovered at Blombos Cave is thought to be the oldest known instance of human art, dating to around 73,000 years ago. 
  Gall writes, “The Laurens van der Post panel at Tsodilo is one of the most famous rock paintings.”  High on this rock face in Botswana is the image of a “magnificent red eland bull” painted, according to Van der Post, “only as a Bushman who had a deep identification with the eland could have painted him.”  Also on this rock face is a female giraffe that is motionless, as if alarmed by a predator.  Several other images of animals are depicted there too, along with the flesh blood-red handprints that are the signature of the unknown artist. The Drakensberg and Lesotho is particularly well known for its San rock art.
  Tsodilo was recognised as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001; not all the art covered by this is by San people or their ancestors.
caption: San rock paintings in the Western Cape
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