Malawi

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        Malawi

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        Malawi

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          Malawi

            189 Site and People records results for Malawi

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            Banda I
            Site
            Brief description of site: A tall isolated boulder standing in fields on flat land a few hundred metres northeast of Banda hill. Variously known as Malunza and Chinkanda. The boulder lists to the northeast providing slight protection to the north and east rock-faces from direct rainfall. All areas of protected surface hold traces of red pigment.
            Brief description of art: The general degree of protection from sun and washing is poor. Motifs only survive in the best-protected areas; originally the area painted must have been much larger. Motifs include: 2 circles with externally radiating lines, a circle, a stretched circle with multiple vertical divisions, 3 sets of parallel vertical lines one joined by horizontal bars, a vertical row of upwardly pointing V shapes with line up centre, various vertical lines. All motifs in similar shade of red pigment and in finger width lines, no overlays or suggestions of sequence.
            Banda II
            Site
            Brief description of site: The site is on a boulder sitting amongst smaller rocks at the northeast corner of Banda hill. It leans to the east providing protection to a small platform area. The base of the boulder is hidden by thick vegetation making it well secluded. The site is shaded and provides some shelter. The images are on a slanting surface underneath the leaning section of the boulder.
            Brief description of art: The rain washes over a large section of the rock and has caused the partial destruction of some of the images. The images include: 3 large daubed spread-eagled motifs in white, 2 of which are partially destroyed. There is also a smudged area of red pigment.
            Banda III
            Site
            Brief description of site: Half way up a steep lower slope on the east side of Banda hill. A large boulder overhangs to the northeast providing protection to a small platform area on the hillside. Pictographs survive on the protected areas of this face as well as on the vertical front of a rock that blocks the west end of the site. There is not enough shelter to allow habitation but the site is pleasantly shaded.
            Brief description of art: Degree of protection varied, most areas are relatively well protected. The left section almost certainly had more pictographs that have now been destroyed. Numerous pictographs, most linear or curvilinear in form. Shapes include: many sets of vertical parallel lines, 1 enclosed grid, 1 concentric circle, 3 concentric half-circles open at top, 2 circles with internal vertical divisions and another with horizontal divisions, a vertical sausage shape with multiple horizontal divisions, various short filled and outline horizontal bars with three vertical lines leading off downwards. All these motifs applied by finger using similar shades of red, 2 have white lines in between the red. There is also a single zoomorphic charcoal outline design (nyau - kasiyamaliro). Little suggestion of a sequence, though details in method suggest many artists, the charcoal motif appears to be very recent.
            Banda IV
            Site
            Brief description of site: A boulder sitting in a plateau area high on Banda hill just below the central rock mass that forms the peak. The boulder overhangs to the east providing a small shaded shelter but little real protection. Quite an arduous walk up from valley floor, reasonably impressive views.
            Brief description of art: Pictographs quite faint and dust covered. Reasonably well protected from rain but have been disturbed by a combination of termites, bird nests and human activity in the shelter. Name scrawling in black charcoal covers part of the panel. Motifs include: 5 concentric circles and a more complex circle and line design, applied by finger in red, filled with white. All but one of the concentric circles has six red circles. Also a few sets of parallel vertical lines and a short horizontal sausage shape with internal vertical divisions, applied by finger in red.
            Banda VI
            Site
            Brief description of site: A locally famous cave known as Panga La Kachindamoto. It is said to be the site where the Ngoni chief of that name sheltered during his flight from the Yao. It is a very large cave facing northwest, well sheltered from rain though something of a wind funnel. It is extremely well hidden and of arduous access. Could have provided sheltered habitation for a relatively large group.
            Brief description of art: There is just one small area of pictographs and a fair amount of modern scratched or scrawled graffiti. The lack of pictographs in such a well-protected site is surprising. It is possible that fires in the cave have destroyed many. However, there is little to indicate that there were ever more pictographs than at present. Factors such as the roughness of the rock and the arduous access may have been of influence. There are 4 motifs: a half circle open at the top with internal vertical divisions, a vertical line with an upturned V shape at its base and vertical line, all applied by finger in red. 4th motif is spread-eagled, applied by daubing in white; it overlies two of the red designs.
            Banda VIII
            Site
            Brief description of site: A low recessed shelter immediately south and below DE7. Ceiling low but floor excellently sheltered and shaded. Could have provided protection for 3-4 persons. Shelter entrance is well concealed making site hard to find.
            Brief description of art: Pictographs executed on sloping ceiling. Surface quite dark and rough. Motifs include many swirling somewhat snake-like lines and two small spread-eagled designs. All daubed in white, well protected and well preserved.
            Bunda I
            Site
            Brief description of site: A large recessed shelter on the lower slopes of Bunda hill east side. Very well protected and large enough to make a good habitation site for a family group (floor area over 30m²). Extensive soot deposits on ceiling suggest that it has been regularly used. Depending on vegetation may have had a fair view into stream valley and beyond.
            Brief description of art: Many traces of white pictographs on ceiling all severely blackened by soot. Include: various spread-eagled motifs, a meandering snake-like line, a few dots, a circle with a single internal vertical division, and a small human-like design that looks like a depiction of a baby. All daubed in white. At entrance to shelter is an area of massed dots applied by finger in red.
            Bunda II
            Site
            Brief description of site: An overhanging rock on the lower slopes of Bunda hill east side. At the base of this there is a low cave inset with a ceiling only about 1.5m high. The cave could have provided a sheltered sleeping or storage place but would be too cramped for habitation. Pleasantly shaded site, not much of a view.
            Brief description of art: 2 well preserved white daubed spread-eagled motifs positioned just above the entrance to the low cave. Both have had black 'feet' added sometime after their original creation. On a protected surface a few metres to the north are some traces of red pigment but with no apparent form.
            Bunda III
            Site
            Brief description of site: A rock on the lower slopes of Bunda hill east side. On its east face are two small recesses, neither with a ceiling higher than one metre. The larger of the two would be just big enough hold two people lying down. Potsherd debris suggests this may have been used occasionally. It would have made a good hiding place, short-term shelter or storing hole.
            Brief description of art: A group of red designs are painted above the smaller cave applied by finger. They are relatively well preserved and there is nothing to suggest that more pictographs once existed than those surviving today. They are fairly small but complex motifs comprised of linked horizontal and vertical lines. All utilize similar method and pigment except for three short brown/red vertical lines.
            Bunda IV
            Site
            Brief description of site: The site is a large slightly overhung rock-face at the back of a flat platform halfway up the east side of Bunda Hill. The rock-face provides pleasant midday and afternoon shade but little real shelter. The platform has impressive views to the east.
            Brief description of art: The painted frieze is considerable in size (over 10m in length). Much of the rock is poorly protected from washing and many areas of painting are consequently now faint. The motifs are predominantly linear, but there is a fair amount of variety. The pictographs are too numerous to describe individually. There are two main pigments used: red and white. One motif is in monochrome white, the rest in red. A number of red motifs are overlain with massed fine white dots or lines. These motifs are found in the most protected areas. Perhaps more were originally treated in this manner but the white is now washed off. This site is unusual in having some large filled red motifs; such designs are more characteristically executed in white. There is notable variation in details of method. The white motif overlies a number of red designs. Many red designs partially cover other red figures. The suggestion is of considerable variation in the age of the pictographs and of work by many different artists.
            Bunda VI
            Site
            Brief description of site: The shelter is formed by two large boulders, which lean into one another. It is positioned halfway up the slope on the eastern side of Bunda Hill. The site has good shade and shelter provided is large enough to have been suitable for habitation. The pottery scatter on floor and soot on rocks suggests that the shelter has been used. It is quite well secluded and looks into trees.
            Brief description of art: The art consists of 2 large spread-eagled designs on vertical wall of shelter, daubed in white and decorated with finger width black dots. There are also a few vertical lines and a circle with externally radiating lines from base only. On a separate surface applied by finger in red. All the images are well preserved.
            Bunda VII
            Site
            Brief description of site: An overhung rock-face towards the southern end of the east side of Bunda Hill. The ground drops away sharply in front of the rock-face, only a small area of flat ground exists against the wall and this is scattered with low boulders. The shelter provided can thus not be exploited for much more than shaded seating. The view east from the site is impressive.
            Brief description of art: The main area of pictographs is well protected and preserved. There may originally have been more motifs, now washed off, to the left and right though there is little to indicate this. The oldest design at the site is a fine line animal depiction executed using violet pigment. This is overlain by various sets of lines and joined lines, applied by finger in red. Surrounding these, and probably therefore later, are a few sets of parallel finger width lines made in white.