Item NASMUS-NAM-NUS5-5.jpg - NASMUS NAM NUS5 5

Brief description of site: This is a large site that is part of a long ridge of regular, even granite. The site consists of a 9 m long massive rectangular bloc of rock with an inner cave section 3 m wide and 2 m deep and quite low at the southern end. The site is E facing and on the SE side of the riverbed where the riverbed veers to the SE and splits - almost an island-like situation with the site in a somewhat elevated terrace on the 620 m contour.
Brief description of art: There are up to 50 rock paintings here. The clearest is a 1.2 m red curved serpent with an animal head that is very giraffe-like. An intricately patterned red giraffe is painted in the arch of the serpent's curve. The giraffe has a red dorsal stripe along its spine, which, in turn, gives it a serpentine appearance. There is a water wash in which these two animals are partially painted. A small boulder is right in front of this image cluster and seems to have rolled in after the painting episode took place. Above and to the right of the serpent is a row of at least 10 red springbok painted in a closely space gently curving line. Lower down and to the left are the remains of human figures and buck. In the inner cave section of the site is a cluster of red human figures, one of which is very clear and depicted in a frontal perspective. Lower down there is another clear human figure, at least 8 faded such human figures and half-a-dozen buck.

Gender: M
Nationality: South African
Created by: willem
Created on: 11/03/2003