Twyfelfontein 534 III

• Sieben Tafeln Outlier

Brief description of site: This site consists of a noticeable cluster of sandstone blocs between the large dry riverbed and the lower slopes of the valley sides on the 600 m contour. There is a dirt track, quite well-used, leading almost directly to the site. The hiking trail also passes directly past the site. The cluster of sandstone blocs offers a number of passageways and cave-like spaces. No sight line to the main site but good views to the north and east.

There is a very extensive surface scatter of quartzite and hornfels stone tools, concentrating at several of the cave-like spaces. There is also a noticeable presence of ostrich eggshell fragments and a few partly-worked such beads. Over the river on the valley floodplain/floor, there are numerous circular depressions, though it is not known whether these are cause by a natural or a human agency.
Brief description of art: Bushman rock engravings occur at at least 9 localities at this site complex and number perhaps 150-175 individual images. The central twice-split rock stack and the large angled rock table to its south-west have the densest concentration of imagery.

Central twice-split rock bloc: The dominant image cluster has dimensions of 2.5 m x 2.2 m cluster. The engravings are all pecked with combination of outline, infill and deeper outline with lighter infill. 6 giraffe (up to 880 mm tall), 4 rhino - one of which is white - 2 oryx, 16 other animals - probably zebra. More than 15 antelope spoor (aligned 'right way up' unlike Zeremonienplatz), 7 of which are very deeply engraved and the largest has dimensions of 110 mm x 105 mm. There is one zebra spoor. There are two cases of superimpositioning - in both cases zebra have been engraved on top of a rhino and a zebra respectively. There is one 4-toed human footprint.

Main cluster annexe: Here we encounter 11 animals - 2 giraffe (770 mm tall), 2 zebra, 1 ostrich, 7 spoor (one of which is zebra and the rest antelope), 4 cupules. On lower, 60° sloping rock in the tight squeeze section that has 4 other animals engraved and at least 40 cupules that are between 25.5 mm - 45.5 mm in diameter and between 3 mm - 8 mm deep. These latter images are in a very awkward position and would have been so also for the engraver.
Passageway behind main image cluster: On the eastern side of the largest passage through twice-split rock are 12 animals engraved with a deep pecked outline and lighter pecked infill. There is an equid with partial pecked infill. 9 equids, 6 of which have the 'three-pronged' head. 1 very good kudu bull with characteristic curly horns and 1 giraffe with fat belly and rudimentary legs. There is one possible bird engravings and a square motif. On the facing, western part of the passageway at the southern end there are 2 rough-pecked giraffe and 3 rough-pecked partial-infill equids, an antelope and an antelope spoor.

Rear vertical cluster: The back or western side of twice-split rock has two components - a vertical wall and a collapsed horizontal slab. The vertical wall has nearly two dozen pecked outline and pecked infill animals, mostly in deep pecked outline and rough pecked infill. There are 10 giraffe, 1 ostrich and 12 other animals - all equids. This imagery covers 4.7 m x 1.9 m of vertical wall.

Rear horizontal cluster: On a 20° sloping surface is an engraved cluster covering 2.9 m x 5.4 m and bears over 40 engraved animals- 18 giraffe, 3 black rhino, 21 equids, 3 of which are horned, 2 white rhino, 1 giraffe with good patterning on the neck, 19 buck, 2 elephant, 4 ostrich, and 22 large cupules, some of which are superimpose don top of the engravings. The cupules have diameters of between 23 mm - 64 mm and depths of between 8 mm - 18.5 mm with flat bottoms where the engraved has gone through the thin outer layer of Etjo sandstone into the layer beneath. 1 rhino has 160 mm long horn. There is a cluster of spoor - rhino, giraffe, antelope, equid and 1 human footprint. 1 giraffe has outstretched front legs. On the side of this collapsed rock are two antelope engraved.

Cave behind central twice-split rock bloc: Immediately behind and steeply upslope of the main site pulse is a cave-like space. Engraved into/out of the vertical cave walls is an antelope and an ostrich in a deep pecked-infill technique, a more lightly engraved equid and 3 unidentifiable quadruped animals. On the smoother northern cave wall ceiling is a carefully engraved antelope spoor and two pecked infill animal engravings. Opposite is a pecked-infill giraffe engraving whose feet end in spoor, which are shown in twisted perspective.

SW large sloping surface: Immediately SW of the central twice-split rock bloc is a huge angled slope of rock slab abutting another more squat rock bloc. Over two dozen engravings including: a fat 680 mm x 540 mm ostrich, a giraffe, 17 equids in pecked-infill, pecked-outline and partial pecked-infill. There is one equid 'mother/parent -and-child' grouping. 1 partial pecked-infill oryx. 1 very large spoor. These engravings all made with a large, punctate peck, somewhat less fine than at the main site complex. 7 further animals beyond and a 175 mm x 140 mm spoor. On opposite and vertical slope there are 2 giraffe, 2 equids, 1 very fat animal and an excellent twirly-horned kudu bull with an oryx and another animal.

Other: here and there on outlying rock blocs there are isolated engravings, some only partially completed.