Chongoni Rock Art Area
Chongoni Rock Art Area | |
---|---|
Location | Dedza District, Central, Malawi |
Nearest town | Dedza |
Coordinates | 14°17′36″S 34°16′45″E / 14.29333°S 34.27917°E |
Area | 126.40 km2 (48.80 sq mi) |
Established | July 12, 2006 |
Type | Cultural |
Criteria | iii, vi |
Designated | 2006 (30th session) |
Reference no. | 476rev |
Region | Africa |
The Chongoni Rock Art Area is a region containing 127 rock art and painting sites depicting the farmer community of the Late Stone Age and Iron Age, located in the forested hills of the Malawi plateau in the Central Region of Malawi.[1]
The rock arts are in granite formations and consist of art depictions attributed to the hunter gatherer community of
Geography
The rock art sites are near the mountainous region of Dedza (1,600 metres (5,200 ft)) which is the highest town in Malawi (about (80 kilometres (50 mi)) south-east of Lilongwe[3]) which was settled during pre-historic times. It is reported to be the “densest cluster of rock art” in Central Africa.[4] The 127 sites identified in the Malawi plateau are spread over an area of 126.4 square kilometres (48.8 sq mi).[5] Located on the hill slopes of the forested area, the projecting rocks provide protection to the rock art sites. Of the 127 sites, five are outside the demarcated limits of the Chongoni Forest Reserve.[1]
Legal status
The rock art and archaeological sites of Chongoni are protected under The Monuments and Relics Act of 1990. The Chongoni Forest Reserve, declared a protected area under the Forestry Act of 1997, provides further protection as it encompasses most of the rock art sites.[1]
History
Archaeological antiquaries of the early Stone Age period found in the area provides links to the
Iron Age settlements are traced from 1st millennium AD when a white rock art form, consisting of natural figures made with white clay, was depicted by the farmers. The farming community and the hunter gatherers worked in unison until the 19th century when the latter group were subsumed into the farming group.[1]
It was in the 15th century that the
Features
Following migration of Chewa agriculturalists into the area, white clay was the medium used for painting while their predecessors,
The rock art sites are categorized under four traditions, two belong to the BaTwa Pygmies, the earliest community of hunter gatherers, the agriculturists, the Ngoni invaders, and the colonizers.[6]
Details of three of the sites which are open to the public are:[6] The Chentcherere Rock Art Site forming the core area where six rock shelters are located in the Chentcherere hills, described as in the "schematic and naturalistic" styles; the Namzeze Rock Art Site which consists of paintings in red geometrical pattern and several paintings in white colour; and the Mphunzi Rock Art Site which are "zoomorphism" paintings.[6]
Gallery
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Red stripe painting
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Red animals painting
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Red spiral with white animals
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Field of white animals
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Detail of white animals
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m "Chongoni Rock Art Area". UNESCO Organization. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ Bolger 2012, p. 332.
- ^ a b c "Chongoni Rock-Art Area – Malawi". African World Heritage Sites Organization. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ Capua 2009, p. 72.
- ^ "Chongoni Rock-Art Area (Malawi)". Trust for African Rock Art. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- ^ a b c "Chongoni Rock Art World Heritage Site" (PDF). Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Tourism, Wildlife & Culture. Archived from the original (pdf) on 14 July 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2013.
- Bibliography
- Bolger, Diane (25 September 2012). A Companion to Gender Prehistory. John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-1-118-29427-7.
- Capua, Sarah De (2009). Malawi in Pictures. Twenty-First Century Books. ISBN 978-0-8225-8575-6.
- Frankel, David; Lawrence, Susan; ISBN 978-1-134-62615-1.