Twyfelfontein, a UNESCO World Heritage Site

Humans have been drawing on things for a very long time.

These petroglyphs date from 2,000 to 6,000 years ago. (The paintings we saw at Sossusvlei are 10,000 years old.) There’s a lot to look at.

Much of what you see is meant to be a guide. There are maps of the area, with watering holes listed, represented as circles with dots. Interestingly, this symbol for “spring” shows up in many cultures with no known contact. Edible animals and their tracks are also carved, like rhino, springbok, various birds, seals. The human foot prints are signatures. Giraffe feature heavily, their long necks a symbol of connection from the ground to the sky, i.e., where rain originates.

Some artists took liberties. I, of course, would never, ever take liberties with my words or images to prove a point or push my world view. Still, some might. Just be aware.

The area is named … you’re not going to believe this … because the spring in this area was not dependable. There was some talk about a white farmer, who lived in the area, blah blah blah, eventually left due to the well. Whatever. Couldn’t care less.

These petroglyphs come from the San people, original inhabits of the area.