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2000BCThousands of years, to the late 19th century · uKhahlamba-Drakensberg Park, KwaZulu-Natal

San rock art of the Drakensberg

San rock painting of an eland and a human figure on the wall of Game Pass Shelter, Drakensberg
Photo: Alandmanson. CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

For thousands of years San hunter-gatherers painted the rock shelters of the Drakensberg with eland, hunters and figures thought to show trance and the spirit world; the latest images show horses, guns and soldiers. Hundreds of painted sites survive, holding tens of thousands of images. Farmers, settlers and colonial raiding parties had driven the San from the mountains by the late 19th century.

Sites

  1. Site 1: Game Pass Shelter, KambergPanel of eland and part-human figures, reached on a guided walk from the rock art centre.Map ↗
  2. Site 2: Main Caves, Giant's CastlePainted shelters with a small site museum, a short walk from the camp.Map ↗

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