Brief description of site: RSA-ASH1 I is a large high, domed and west-facing shelter located overlooking the well-known RSA-RSS1 serpent site but on the next band of sandstone up. The site is bilobial and is 8 m long, 6 m deep and up to 5 m high with rock blocs and debris capping a gently sloping floor. There is little to no vegetation in or near the site. The sound of the river echoes noticeably within the site.

The deposit is very rough and granular and not deep - less than 25 cm. There is a very good surface scatter of stone tools or lithics made of crypto-crystalline silicates - many of which show signs of fire-crazing. These lithics belong the Later Stone Age (c. 25 000 years ago - Historic times).
Brief description of art: There is a sparse 150 cm x 40 cm image cluster in the northern end of the site. There is a large 50 cm + faded red bulky animal painted in red. A smaller but much smaller buck-like animal is painted in light red above it. There is a red 'flying buck' above this group. A large vertical tear in the rock separates the animals from a dance of at least 8 human figures in red and white: 4 are shown running with split legs; 4 bend forward at the waist; 1 human draws a bow and has noticeable penis, and 1 human has its arms back. These two image clusters probably connect. Down low are 4 red and white human figures, 3 red animals - one an equid and one very thin with thin r tassel-like emanations. Very low down in a natural arch in the rock is a cluster of 3 gracile red ?rhebuck and 4 red human figures; possibly dancing.3

Brief description of site: Unlike most southern African rock-painting sites, this is not a 'shelter' but a cave, proper. 35 m wide, up to 10 m high and 39.72 m deep, The site has cathedral-like proportions. The cave also has two tiers with the lower tier being composed of a mostly level to slightly sloping sandy floor. The upper tier is composed of a rock ledge that runs along the cave's northern and southern walls. A natural spring burbles out from the back of the cave. RSA BUL1 faces East North East - North East and is situated in a tributary of the Kraai River, which is less than 1.2 km to the South East. Curiously, for such a huge cave, The site is secluded and is not visible until one is almost upon the cave. The sight also has excellent acoustics both within the cave and the echo down the valley.

The site was obviously a favoured location for the San or 'Bushmen' of times past. Underneath the dung overburden is archaeological deposit that is at least 0.5 m deep. This deposit is mostly sandy and loose. There are numerous patches and even 'carpets' of lithics (stone tools) on the cave floor. These lithics are made from opalines (also known as crypto-crystalline silicates), which are volcanic fine-grained gemstone-like rocks that get washed down from the basalt mountains into streams and rivers. There are also some hornfels (also known as indurated shale or lydianite) stone tools. Hornfels is the rock that makes up river pebbles. The whole range of stone tools and stone tool manufacture is visible at the site. There are chips, chunks and cores, which indicate that stone tools were made in the cave. These tools are also present in their finished form. For example, there are sidescrapers and endscrapers - used to work leather; adzes - used to work wood; and flakes - used as general purpose cutting tools. Further there is evidence of the preservation of bone and there is plenty of charcoal, from human made fires, veld fires and vitrified dung from when the stock's dung internally combusted. A single ostrich eggshell fragment was noted. There are areas on the rocks, which have been used as lower grindstones to grind seeds and ochre. There are also some grooves used to sharpen or straighten metal objects. Small fragments of grit-tempered undecorated pottery are also present. This pottery is probably not San but relates to Black farmers' and herders' occupation of the cave. The cave has numerous stone walls and structures - those with right angle corners being made by White farmers, those with round angles being made by Black farmers and herders.
Brief description of art: Snakes. Graffiti.

There are in excess of 300 individual San rock-paintings in the site. These paintings occur in two giant panels on two tiers. The size, quantity, quality and variety of the imagery shows that the site was not only used as a practical living shelter, but also a locus of great spiritual importance to the San. The paintings are too numerous to discuss individually and I highlight certain image clusters:

Upper tier: Dominating this upper tier is a painted herd of over 40 eland (Tragelaphus oryx) painted in very nearly every conceivable pose and perspective. These eland are painted in red, white and red or orange ochre. Some of the eland are shaded, some are bichrome and some are polychrome (many colours). These eland are shown from above, below, upside-down, on their side, lying down, standing, resting, galloping and so fort. Interestingly, behind the lying down eland is a figure that most people have identified as an ostrich (see cover of 'major Rock Paintings of Southern Africa', attached). This is, however, incorrect as Mr Sephton of Pitlochrie correctly points out, it is an eland the artist got in a tangle over. Notice the black pads on the legs. At the far left of this giant panel are two exceptional therianthropes. These therianthropes - part-human and part-animal beings - are exceptionally large at 880 mm tall. Look closely at their feet and you will see they have hooves and even leave a trail of eland spoor. This entire panel is visually dominant and strikes one immediately upon entering the cave. The focus on eland, human figures and therianthropes gives this panel a tight conceptual unity. Given the visual appearance of the pigment and imagery, it would appear that this panel was painted by one or a small group of individuals in no more than three painting episodes. This is thus comparable to a work like Michaelangelo's Sistine Chapel work.

Lower tier: The lower tier has a more varied subject matter and evidently the paintings belong to different periods, building up over centuries, even millennia. Again, there are numerous eland, including some with a more blocked and angular appearance as well as eland whose lines flow and blend with the rock. There is a curious red one-horned 'moose'-like animal. Two of the more orange eland have orange zigzag lines coming off their chests - like the zigzag line off the chest of the human figure at RSA FET. There is a curled up snake with tusks painted in white and ochre. Also an antelope-equid like animal in red with erect black hairs on its back. There is a knees up, bending-forward human figure in red, white and black bleeding from the nose or mouth and having tusks. There are numerous very delicate Mountain rhebuck (Redunca fulvorufula) painted in a variety of poses. There are also two therianthropes imitative of the large threrianthropes on the upper tier. There is clear 'contact' imagery with a clear yellow horse, two white Friesland cattle and black-painted figures with red earrings and shield - probably representing early Xhosa warriors.

Brief description of site: RSA BUL2 is an 18 m long, up to 4 m high and 8 m deep ocular cave-like space. The site is located on the 1 720 m contour and has light vegetation growing within the shelter.. There is a large, level floor area that makes this an excellent living space.

The floor is soft and may have considerable depth of deposit. The site is high enough not to be flooded regularly and has a high ash content, suggesting good preservation of organic remains, as is borne out by the good number of bone fragments visible. There is some grit-tempered, undecorated pottery - perhaps from herder's stays. There is also Historic period white crockery. In terms of stone tools, there are many present at this site. Most of these tools are made on fine-grained agate rocks known generally as crytpo-crystalline silicates or oplaines. Every stage of stone tool manufacture is present. There are cores - large lumps of rock from which stone tools are made. There are flakes - general-purpose cutting tools. Adzes are present and were used for woodworking in much the same way as a spokeshave. End and side-scrapers, often in the shape of a thumbnail were used to prepare leather. There are also rare burins and awls - used to pierce. These stone tools and the paintings show that this site was a long-term home and spiritual centre for Bushman communities.
Brief description of art: On the central portion of the site's back wall, in pulses over a 11 m area, are perhaps 250 individual Bushman rock paintings. These paintings show considerable conceptual unity and centre on the Medicine Dance (also known as the 'Trance Dance'); the most pivotal and enduring of Bushman religious ceremonies. Many of the dancing figures are animal-headed and hooved - and are called 'therianthropes'. Other human figures bleed from the nose and assume a range of striking body posture such as bending forward from the waist, lying prone, holding and hand to the nose, holding arms behind the back, dancing and so forth. There are numerous eland (Tragelaophus oryx) - some of which have been re-painted (which is unusual) and, interestingly, more than a dozen hartebeest (Buselaphus) - one of which depicted in rear perspective - as well as smaller antelope such as rhebuck (Redunca fulvorufula). There is a set of distinctive white human figures. Many of the human figures are shown running - some appear to be fleeing a rough red baboon-like 'monster'. Below one very complete rendering of a Medicine Dance with dancers, shamans with constricted waists and clapping people, an animal headed snake is shown as though emerging from a crack in the rock. There are some less fine human figures depicted in a bright orange paint.

Brief description of site: This site is an ESE facing 35.62 m long medium-sized overhang in a side valley of the Vlooikraalspruit. The shelter floor is level with a combination of consolidated sand, mudstone, rock and rock-tumble (2 places). There is an undercut giving a tier to the site. The site is arched and somewhat ocular (eye-shaped) and inconspicuous when viewed from afar.

There is very little deposit - less than 10 cm - in the shelter. There are, however, many lithics (stone tools) on the surface. These stone tools are made from opaline, gemstone-like rocks as well as hornfels or river cobbles. Most of the artefacts are on the talus or scree slope immediately below the shelter. There is some stone walling in the shelter as well as patches of rock used for lower grindstones. There are also areas of rock used to sharpen or straighten metal objects. The two rock piles seem natural, but are unusual.
Brief description of art: There are approximately 120 individual San rock-paintings in the shelter located on either side of the large fissure in the rock.

Right Hand Side: This image cluster covers 2.2 m x 1 m and the imagery includes a red and white felines painted in great detail with red body spots. There is also a red and white human figure drawing a bow with an exquisite nocked arrow. Very unusual is a cloud of finger dots that appear to be human heads - a regional feature more common of the Floukraal area. There is a cluster of over 22 red human figures in dance-like poses. The figures are, bar one exception, thin and there is another figure drawing a bow. There are also 5 red and red/white therianthropes (part-human and part-animal figures). Two of these figures are 270 mm tall and have hooves rather than feet and wear karoses (leather cloaks).

Left Hand Side: This 2.8 m x 0.8 m image cluster has at least 5 large red/white and black seated and standing human figures that are remarkable on account of their very large heads; complete with detailed facial features and decorations. Two of these heads measure 200 mm x 200 mm. It seems as if one face even shows a beard. Below are three finely painted white human figures with red detail. Two of these figures are recumbent and have spread-apart legs in the posture known as the 'Mother Goddess' pose. These figures are surrounded by finely painted arrows - most unusual. There are also at least a dozen finely-painted red/white /black eland (Tragelaphus oryx). There are also two very tall white human figures, one of which bends forward. There are a further two unidentifiable buck in red outline and an unusual red ochre crayon sketch of an animal.

Rock tumble: On the middle rock stack are faded remains of paintings but now only buck and human figures are visible.

Brief description of site: RSA-GLL2 is a large stone bottomed and curving overhang and is part of a chain of smaller rock shelters. The site is 30 m long, up to 4 m high and up to 3.5 m deep, gently sloping and facing south-west on the 1860 m contour. The site has a very good view. There are many brambles encroaching onto the site, which is also rather wet.

There is not much in the way of archaeological deposit within the site, which has a sloping rock bottom. Use as a stock shelter has meant considerable churning of what deposit there is and a great deal of dung overburden. On the scree slope below the site there are numerous Bushman artefacts. In terms of stone tools, there are many present at this site. Most of these tools are made on fine-grained agate rocks known generally as crytpo-crystalline silicates or oplaines. Every stage of stone tool manufacture is present. There are cores - large lumps of rock from which stone tools are made. There are flakes - general-purpose cutting tools. Adzes are present and were used for woodworking in much the same way as a spokeshave. End and side-scrapers, often in the shape of a thumbnail were used to prepare leather. There are also rare burins and awls - used to pierce. These stone tools and the paintings show that this site was a long-term home and spiritual centre for Bushman communities. At the opposite end of the site are substantial stone walls, parts of which may also date from these early White settler days, though they have no doubt been re-made many times. A pecked and meandering channel on a horizontal ledge in the centre of the site presents something of a mystery and it is bot certain who made this. In an adjacent painted shelter the name ?J C Orpen has been carefully engraved. Many of the rock edges have been smoothed and abraded.
Brief description of art: There are at least 250+ extant rock paintings in this site made by at least three cultural groups:

Bushman rock paintings: These make up the majority of the site's art. Many more paintings would have been visible were it not for the severe vandalism suffered at this site. The remaining imagery is primarily done in the muted, shaded colours characteristic of older Bushman rock art and is exceptionally interesting and includes: numerous eland (Tragelaphus oryx). One beautiful orange, white, black and red eland cow is shown with a nasal or oral emission, probably blood, interestingly, this eland has three sets of parallel white stripes on its body - a 'non-real' and as yet unexplained visual convention that is found in the north-eastern Cape's Bushman rock art. There are eland in a variety of poses such as walking, leaping and even being upside-down. Other interesting images include a bizarre composite human-animal creature (known as a therianthrope) painted high up on the ceiling. This figure is painted in red, white and black and has spiky emanations on its back. Two orange lions appear to be chasing a group of people - a similar theme to the lion chases on Balloch and Blue Bend. Nearby are red and white paint sprays. In two places there are curious black bloc-like images. These might represent bags. There is a group of 6 red tall human figures painted very close together.

Khoekhoen herder rock paintings: Amongst the Bushman rock paintings are at least 32 red dots of paint applied with the fingertips. These fingerdots occur in double rows in at least 3 places and are characteristic of the newly-recognised rock art tradition of Khoekhoen (formerly 'Khoi' or 'Hottentot') herders. At RSA GLL2 these Khoekhoen fingerdots are painted on top of the Bushman rock paintings and are thus older. Predominantly a non-representational art the full range of which consists of finger dots and stripes, handprints, geometric designs and rudimentary human and animals figures.

White settler rock paintings: In at least three places at RSA GLL2 there are paintings of octagonal pointed designs in a red, sheep marker-like paint. The linearity and manner - which seems aimed at obtaining a 3-dimensional effect by using two tones of the red paint - suggest that these are white-authoured, and may represent a compass or navigation device. There is a partial word `CHARN…' as well as a 'C.H.A.' Recent stone-scratching and charcoal graffiti are probably also white authored.

Mystery painting episode: There is also an episode of 'cruder' human and animal figures painted in white. These may be a non-San painting episode and may even be Sotho or Xhosa-authored.