Makgabeng Rock Art – Glimpses into the Past
story written by Louise De Waal photos taken by Eleanor Muller
Rock art holds mystery and intrigue through remnants of primitive paintings telling the life stories of hunter-gatherers roaming the plains of Southern Africa. We can only speculate as to the exact techniques and materials that were used by the artists and the deeper meaning of the images is often even more enigmatic.
Delicate, yet rudimentary black and ochre drawings of hunters with bow and arrow and kudu like animals painted on the pinkish sandstone. These quintessential rock art paintings appear to tell the tale of everyday life of the San people, yet they are believed to be much more spiritual.
The Makgabeng Plateau has been shaped by wind and water erosion over millions of years into iconic rock formations, such as Thabananthlana, and inhabited by San, Khoikhoi, Sotho and Tswana people going back thousands of years.
Sandstone outcrops, overhangs and large rock shelters have protected the more than 600 rock art sites from deterioration by sun, wind and rain. Makgabeng is one of the only places in Southern Africa, where San, Khoikhoi, Sotho, and even Hananwa rock art has been preserved in such large numbers.
“We used to visit these sites when we were very young, herding our goats up here,” says Felix Mosebedi, our rock art guide, on our way to his favourite Great Train site. This site is one of the more remarkable and unique rock art sites, where paintings from different historical periods and peoples are superimposed.
The most recent layer was added by the Hananwa people, who retreated to Thabananthlana after a long struggle and ultimate defeat against Boer commandos led by commandant-general Piet Joubert in 1894. The white and yellow finger painting tells the story of the siege and capture of their resistance hero, Chief Kgalushi Ratshatsha Lebogo. The most emotional piece is the train taking Lebogo to prison in Pretoria.
“This Great Train site is probably the first example of protest art and keeps our history alive. It tells us who we are and where we came from,” says Felix, “and we are extremely proud of it”.
