Bushmen

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 hunters and animals, and half-human half-animal hybrids, believed to be medicine men or healers 

 High on a rock face in Botswana is the image of a magnificent red eland bull.  Also on this rock face is female giraffe that is motionless, as if alarmed by a predator.  There are other images of animals depicted, along with the flesh blood-red handprints that are the signature of the unknown artist.

 The mysterious technique of how the paintings were created, their symbolism and also interpretation, have been the subject of much debate.  What is clear is the deeply spiritual significance these paintings represent for the San.  The Pre-historic rock art of the San dates back thousands of years.  These peoples roamed the land for centuries unchanged until settlers from faraway places came to stay and farm.

 The San often used different colored stone to do the drawings.  They usually used red rock, which they ground until it was fine, and then mixed it with fat.  The then rubbed this on the rock to form the pictures.  This paint that they used withstands the rain and weather for very long periods of time.  The San then used this paint in four different styles.  These four style techniques are animal outlines in thick red lines, thinly outlined figures, and white stylized figures.  The tool they used to do these paintings was a brush make from animal’s hair or a single small feather.  This may be one reason for the great fineness and delicacy of their painting.

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