Moolmanshoek I 151

Brief description of site: The site takes the form of a 26 m long exposed stratum of Clarens or 'cave' Formation sandstone. Immediately below this honey-coloured Clarens Formation one can see the beginning of the red stratum in which many fossils may be found. At the northern end of the shelter is an unusual 3 m deep natural tunnel into the rock. This shelter faces to the east, with a magnificent view to the west, taking in at least 3 peaks higher than 2 200m above sea level. The shelter floor has eroded considerably and there is less than 200 mm of archaeological deposit. A few hornfels lithics were observed on the surface - all flakes. Most of the artefacts are likely to be located on the talus slope under the thick grass covering.

Present as a surface scatter within the shelter are a few hornfels (also known as indurated shale or lydianite) lithics (stone tools) - all flakes, the most common form of informal stone tool. No bone, charcoal or pottery was observed. Approximately in the middle of the shelter, slightly towards the northern end is a small patch of shelter wall that bears at least 11 fine vertical and parallel scratch marks. These scratches are unlikely to be the marks of animal claws given the steepness and smallness of the area. They are also unlikely to be 'spear-sharpening' marks, which would be larger and which would be evident on a flat, horizontal surface. There are also remnant sections of stone walling; probably used by Black stock-owners to kraal their animals.
Brief description of art: There are approximately 47 individual San rock paintings discontinuously spread across some 21 m of the shelter's wall in 6 image clusters. Note that there would have been many more rock-paintings present in times past but natural weathering has destroyed 80% or more of the imagery. The surviving imagery is all located 2-3 m above the present surface level on the case-hardened rock, with soft, exposed sandstone underneath.

Image cluster 1: Located near the entrance on the southern side of the unusual 3 m deep tunnel are the remains of 2 rock-paintings. The yellow/orange torso of an eland and the red body of an unidentified quadruped.

Image cluster 2: Located a few metres south of the tunnel and 2 m up are the remains of at least 2 red felines - recognisable by their long tails. One of the red torsos may belong to an eland (Tragelaphus oryx). The white paint used for their heads and legs has disappeared. White paints tends to fade quickly as it has a large grain size that is not absorbed by the sandstone and which is washed off by the elements. The red paint is made with ferric oxide, which has a small grain size and is absorbed into the sandstone wall. There is also a red human figure bending forward and clapping in a posture common to the Medicine or Trance Dance. There is also a procession of at least 5 red human figures but their bodies have fallen away. Faintly visible are at least three human figures; one of which is drawing a bow at a buck. Above all these figures is an enigmatic set of parallel and other red lines in a very deep figment.

Image cluster 3: To the south of the parallel incised lines are the remains of 4 red buck - possibly rhebuck (Redunca fulvorfula). One of these buck seems to be depicted in a rear-view. Near this is an isolated red depiction of an hyena-like animal.

Image cluster 4: Fairly low down and fragmentary. Difficult to discern anything but pigment smears.

Image cluster 5: Discrete panel high up of at least 7 red human figures - all female. Most of these figures carry a stick with a round thickening in the middle. This thickening represent a bored stone that San women typically wedged onto their digging sticks to increase its weight and effectiveness when digging for subterranean roots, bulbs and medicines in hard soils. There is also an exceptionally large red female figure to the right of the cluster, just before the enigmatic arc of at least 10 red finger dots.

Image cluster 6: An isolated deep red therianthrope (part-human and part-animal depiction) with crossed legs that end in hooves, not feet. This figure also carries a long red bow, the white bowstring of which has faded away.