Book Launch: Rock Art of the Waterberg: Rites and Transformation by Lyn Wadley & Ghilraen Laue

The authors decode the visual languages of 130 sites to show how these groups influenced each other over millennia.

Rock Art of the Waterberg: Rites and Transformation is a landmark archaeological study that unveils the nuanced world view and rituals practised by local Bushman groups living in the Waterberg area of northern South Africa millennia ago.

Through unprecedented documentation of 130 rock art sites – many photographed for the first time – Lyn Wadley and Ghilraen Laue reveal a complex narrative of human creativity and cultural interaction. Beyond mere documentation, the book explores profound themes of human experience – hunting, initiation, healing and spiritual transformation.

Archaeological evidence illuminates how these diverse groups coexisted and influenced one another’s cultural practices over two thousand years, challenging simplistic narratives of cultural isolation.

Published by Wits Press. More info here. 

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