Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes

Description
Maps
Documents
Gallery
Indicators
Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes
Twyfelfontein or /Ui-//aes has one of the largest concentrations of [...] petroglyphs, i.e. rock
engravings in Africa. Most of these well-preserved engravings represent rhinoceros, . The
site also includes si painteelephant, ostrich and giraffe, as well as drawings of hu!an and
ani!al footprintsd rock shelters with !otifs of hu!an figures in red ochre. The o"#ects
ecavated fro! two sections, date fro! the $ate %tone Age. The site for!s a coherent,
etensive and high-&uality record of ritual practices relating to hunter-gatherer co!!unities
in this part of southern Africa over at least ',((( years, and elo&uently illustrates the links
"etween the ritual and econo!ic practices of hunter-gatherers.
English
)rench
Ara"ic
*hinese
+ussian
%panish
,apanese
-utch
Twyfelfontien is known for its rock engravings and paintings and associated $ate %tone Age !aterial
culture dating "etween .((( and '((( years. The site has one of the known largest concentrations of
engravings in Africa eecuted on flat and upright sla"s. /ver five thousand individual figures have
"een recorded to date. 0 U12%*/
/utstanding Universal 3alue
The rock art for!s a coherent, etensive and high &uality record of ritual practices relating to
hunter-gather co!!unities in this part of southern Africa over at least two !illennia and,
elo&uently reflects the links "etween ritual and econo!ic practices of hunter-gatherers in
ter!s of the value of relia"le water sources in nurturing co!!unities on a seasonal "asis.
*riterion 4iii56 The rock art engravings and paintings in Twyfelfontein for! a coherent,
etensive and high &uality record of ritual practices relating to hunter-gather co!!unities in
this part of southern Africa over at least two !illennia.
*riterion 4v56 The rock art reflects links "etween ritual and econo!ic practices in the apparent
sacred association of the land ad#acent to an a&uifer as a reflection of its role in nurturing
hunter-gather co!!unities over !any !illennia.
The integrity of the property is generally intact. The Twyfelfontein *ountry $odge was
per!itted "y the *onservancy in 7888/'((( within the %ere!onienplat9 rock engraving site
in the "uffer 9one. This has severely co!pro!ised the integrity of the rock engravings in this
area.
All the rock engravings and rock paintings within the core area are without dou"t the
authentic work of %an hunter-gatherers who lived in the region long "efore the influ of
-a!ara herders and 2uropean colonists. The setting of the Twyfelfontein rock art is also
authentic as other than one s!all engraved panel which was re!oved to the 1ational
Museu! in :indhoek in the early part of the '(
th
century, no panels have "een !oved or re-
arranged.
The core area was designated a national !onu!ent in 78;< and is now protected "y the
1ational =eritage Act '((;. A "uffer 9one has "een esta"lished and proclai!ed. The overall
state of conservation of the property has i!proved over the past few years, particularly in
ter!s of the way visitors are !anaged. >!ple!entation of the Manage!ent plan "egan in
'((?.
=istorical -escription
>n the 78;(s the Twyfelfontein land was granted on licence to a settler. At that ti!e a few
-a!ara people lived close to the spring in @' huts. The land was transferred to co!!unal
use for -a!ara far!ers in 78.; on the reco!!endation of the /dendaal *o!!ission. Aut
no far!ers ca!e forward to !ake use of it and it lay a"andoned for '( years. )ollowing
1a!i"ian independence in 788(, the land "eca!e %tate $and under the Ministry of $ands,
+esettle!ent and +eha"ilitation.
Aefore the 78;(s, there is little evidence for the use of the area "y the -a!araB it is likely
that as no!adic pastoralists, they used the area on a seasonal "asis congregating near the
spring after rains. =owever no!adic pastoralis! had "een al!ost co!pletely destroyed in
the preceding 7(( years "y the +inderpest epide!ic of 7<8C and "y ensuing govern!ent
policies which encouraged people to leave the land.
>nterviews with local residents in '((; failed to collect oral evidence for living cultural
association with the rock art, although the rock art sites were seen as powerful places and
the rock art the work of DancestorsE. The i!agery of the art suggests it is part of the "elief
syste! of hunter-gathers, the %an, who lived in the area until partly displaced "y -a!ara
herders a"out 7,((( years ago and finally displaced "y 2uropean colonists within the last
7?( years. 1o %an now live in the area, although the "eliefs of present-day %an who live
so!e <((k! away in the north-eastern part of 1a!i"ia, give insight into the !eaning of the
rock paintings and engravings at Twyfelfontein.