Abstract:
Recent archaeological research has identified a widespread southern
African rock art tradition that materially affects the debate
over what archaeology can tell us about prehistory in southern
Africa. This tradition differs from the one attributed to the ancestors
of today’s San in being dominated by rough-pecked and
finger-painted geometric imagery. Using appearance, technique,
age, geographic distribution, site preference, and relationship to
known San-produced rock art, this article considers various candidates
for its authorship—San foragers, Bantu-speaking farmers,
Khoekhoen herders, European colonists, and multiethnic groupings—
and concludes that it was predominantly Khoekhoen. The
identity of the Khoekhoen, their origins, the route(s) by which
they traveled, their relationship with foragers, and their material
culture signature are contentious issues. The identification of a
Khoekhoen rock art tradition provides another element for the
study of the San-Khoekhoen relationship.
