1. Southern African Rock Art
Paleolithic Peoples
Southern African Rock Art

2. Early Human History
5 million BCE - first hominids (human relatives) evolved in east Africa
@500,000 years ago - first modern hominids (humans like us): larger brains
150,000 to 200,000 BCE - first homo sapiens (modern humans)
Other hominid groups died out
Links to Human Family Tree & Timeline

3. Age of Earth vs. Humans Age of the Earth = 4.5 billion years
Hominid history 5-6 million years
Homo sapiens (like us) = 200,000 years
1 billion years =
1000 million years

4. Early Human History (cont.)
Human adaptations to environment and resources
Human migrations for food and other survival reasons – populated other continents
By 50,000 BCE humans in Southeast Asia and Australia
By 12,000 BCE in northeast Asia and Americas

5. Great website on human evolution:
Smithsonian Institution’s
“What Does It Mean to Be Human” website

6. History of Human Migration
First homo sapiens evolved in eastern Africa – migrated to other continents
over next 50,000 years

7. Problems Studying Early Human History?
1st written records only 5 thousand years ago – few survive
Using artifacts
Fossil records
Have to use other sources of info.
Accuracy?
Meaning?
Forensic science
DNA, carbon dating
Link - list and explanation of diff. forms of dating

8. Paleolithic Rock and Cave Art
classzone.com

9. Video Links Rick Steves at Lasceaux, France
Lasceaux Prehistory of Art, Part 1

10. Paleolithic Cave Paintings: Europe

11. Location of African Rock Art Spans centuries: 35,000 B.C.E+ to present

12. Drakensberg Mountains,
South Africa

13. Cave Art, Inanke, Zimbabwe

14. Drakensberg, South Africa

16. RARI-RSA-FUE1-11.jpg

18. Characteristics of Paleolithic Peoples

19. Paleolithic Life: 2 million – 10,000 years ago
Early hominids and homo sapiens used stone tools
Lived in family groups
Foraged for food – cooperation
Hunting and gathering
Adapted to environment and other changing situations
Developed different cultures

20. Paleolithic Tool Kit

21. Linton Panel – The ‘Rosetta Stone’ of S.A. Rock Art
Created in 18th or 19th century, C.E.

22. Game Pass, SA – original location of Linton Panel

24. Linton Panel Drawing
Interpretation of Rock Art?:

25. San Trance Ritual
Lonyana Rock, Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa.

26. Meaning? Significance?
Healing Powers – Curing the sick

27. San Trance – Bleeding from Nose
RARI-RSA-HAE1-2R.jpg;

28. Trance: Bleeding from Nose
RARI-RSA-FUL1-5R.jpg

29. San Trance Rituals

30. Trance: Meaning? Significance?
Storm Shelter, Eastern Cape, South Africa

31. Meaning? Significance?

32. Shaman Transformed

33. Trance: Swallows (Birds)
RSA-EZE1-6.jpg;

35. Shaman and Participants

36. Shaman

37. Portrait of a Shaman Storm Shelter, Eastern Cape, South Africa
Individual Shaman: Respected and Powerful
Storm Shelter,
Eastern Cape, South Africa

38. Modern Rock Art: Men on horses with rifles
RARI-RSA-BEH1-1R.jpg

39. Link to The African Rock Art Archive

40. Were Paleolithic people civilized
Were Paleolithic people civilized? or What do we know about Paleolithic culture?