Rare Eastern Cape rock art under threat from vandals
Some of the rock paintings are 20,000 years old and are being defaced
In caves along the Great Kei River and at its confluences with the White Kei (Cacadu) and Black Kei Rivers in the Eastern Cape‚ there is a wealth of rock art paintings. It is not well known and is in danger of disappearing. The rock paintings (parietal art) stretch back in time from the 19th century to perhaps 20‚000 years ago. "These paintings are the history of our ancestors‚" said Prof Nomalanga Mkhize‚ historian and anthropologist at Nelson Mandela University. "Their significance is paramount. These artefacts symbolise a civilization spanning thousands and thousands of years … They tell San history … and we can learn from their way of life." The paintings are not that well known to tourists. There are no guest houses or any tourist signs. People explore on their own. But the paintings are being defaced‚ said local resident Nyameko Somgede. He showed GroundUp paintings obscured by charcoal and smoke residue. Some have been scratched through. Somgede said: "People who are doing th...
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