Item RARI-RSA-WAR2-1D.jpg - RARI RSA WAR2 1D

Brief description of site: A panel was removed from the site in 1941 by Walter Battiss, and taken to the Africana museum in Johannesburg.

The Faces Shelter is a very small overhang located on the eastern side of a 17.5 m long NE facing overhang 45 m below and to the SSE of Site 1. This E facing edge is painted very low down - even onto the present surface level. The major part of the shelter is unpainted and has a huge collapsed rock running along its spins. The floor is slightly sloping.

Under the painted panel is not any primary archaeological deposit but in the larger shelter there is some dry 50 cm thick deposit. However, because of occasional flooding, the chances of preservation of organic material such as leather, bone, wood and so forth, are limited. There are very few visible lithics - just two hornfels (also known as lydianite or indurated shale) were seen.
Brief description of art: There are only some 25 individual San rock paintings located very low down on what is really the edge of a shelter in a 2100 mm x 900 mm image cluster or panel. However, this panel is exceptionally interesting, mainly on account of the large human faces painted:

Human Faces: There are 7 large red and white heads painted without bodies. The largest head is 240 mm high and 200 mm wide. At least five of these heads have nosebleeds. 3 Heads seem to have caps or hats. There are also 3 large 500 mm tall human figures with heads, facial features and nosebleeds. They also have cross-like motifs on and off their legs as well as other stripes and body decorations. Most of these figures are identifiably male and one figure is infibulated (has a bar across the penis).

Other images: There are 7 other red human figures; one with very long or attenuated legs.. There is also 1 red and white mountain rhebuck depicted lying down. There is a huge 525 mm x 395 mm red and white eland surrounded by 3 small white human figures. One of these figures carries walking or dancing sticks. Nearer the present surface level are 3 red smudges. There is also a possible thin red line.