A Sense of Time and Place: the rock art of Klein Ghausib and Tantus in the Windhoek District of the Khomas Region

Abstract

Literature on the rock art of Namibia in general, and the Khomas Region in particular, shows that most paintings fall within the Later Stone Age (LSA), as indeed do these paintings discussed in this article. In the case of Namibia, the LSA covers the period of 20,000 to roughly 300 years BP (before present). The oldest dated rock art in Namibia is from the Apollo 11 rock shelter in southern Namibia. In Khomas, rock art is found in caves, under rock overhangs, on boulders, on an exposed wall or on an isolated rocky outcrop. Of these, the most common occurrence of paintings is under a rock overhang. Some paintings are found on suitable surfaces of granite, composed mainly of quartz and feldspars. Rock art also occurs on surfaces comprising mica schist and gneiss that occurs in central Namibia in an approximate 250km radius of Windhoek and is present in the towering Hakos Mountains (1998m) that form part of the Great Escarpment. Both Klein Ghausib (408) and Tantus (30) fall within what geologists call the ‘Damara Mountain Belt’. The sites discussed in this contribution have paintings that show social activities and ritual and symbolic engagements between humans and totem animals. They form part of a much wider distribution of such art in southern Africa and beyond. As the rock-face conveys meaning, so too does each image within a panel of paintings. The documentation and preservation of rock art, irrespective of whether it occurs in primary or secondary sites, pose special challenges to researchers and farmers alike, particularly since many of the sites in the Khomas Region are subjected to environmental stress and vandalism. It is recommended that the documentation of rock art of the Khomas Region be fully integrated into the Namibian Rock Art Atlas and with the National Heritage Council. Moreover, public awareness campaigns are mounted to educate farmers, farm workers, and visitors on the cultural and heritage importance of rock art in the country.