Zuidoosthoek I 100

Brief description of site: The rock shelter is unusual, as it is a large sandstone outcrop in a generally sandstone-free topography. The entire krantz-line has shelters but the rock paintings and archaeological artefacts are concentrated in the southern end. The shelter is deep and low and quite damp - in wet seasons a waterfall falls just in front of the site. There is also a 25 m deep inner cave in the shelter that has been partially widened. A natural spring is active in this inner cave. Given the general scarcity of rock shelters within a radius of 20 km2, this shelter would have been attractive to past peoples, some of which have left visible artefacts at the site though, of course, Bushmen often lived in grass, skin and stick huts in the open too.

Because of the steep slope and rock floor there is not much depth of archaeological deposit - less than 1 m. There is a good surface scatter on the slope in front of the shelter and on the flat plain around the farm dam. This surface scatter comprises numerous crypt-crystalline silicates (opalines) Later Stone Age (c. 30 000 years ago - approx. 150 AD) stone tools. Bone has not preserved because of dampness in the shelter. There are also traces of historic occupancy of the shelter with maize cobs, leather, metal and plastic artefacts.
Brief description of art: The main panel: This 1.01 m x 0.33 m panel is located on a natural concavity with the deepest part of the rock shelter. The painting consist of black and some white pigment. A large 45 cm x 25 cm animal is depicted with 6 part-human, part-animal figures behind it. This panel was first recorded in 1872/3 by the early traveller George William Stow. Stow made at least 124 copies of rock art in his travels through the Eastern Cape, Free State and Lesotho. Stow's copies are a valuable resource as they give us an idea of how much the art has faded in the 130-odd years that have passed since his records. The panel has faded badly because of the wet conditions. The 'horn' on the creature's nose is an example of historic graffiti - present at Stow's time - but which was not made by Bushmen. Similarly, the ears have been extended and an extra tail added in charcoal. The animal is thus not a rhinoceros but is best explained as a depiction of a rain-animal. The Bushmen believed rain was caused by an animal which medicine (shamans) had to catch and slaughter. The 6 part-human, part-animal figures behind the animal are known as 'therianthropes' and represent shamans in an altered state of consciousness.

Other paintings: To the south of the main shelter there are badly preserved and isolated instances of paintings. There is an earlier episode of painting consisting of eland and human figures painted in an exotic pigment. There is then a more recent painting episode executed mainly in white pigment that shows Bushmen, Black settlers, cattle and anvil-shaped Sotho shields, clubs, spears and so forth. This painting episode has a religious undertone but is essential a political-resistance art by which the Bushmen tried to come to terms with new arrivals on the landscape.