African Khoisan/Bushman Rock Art
Soon as I am South African, it is only customary to write about Africa. The title “No Roots for a home” comes from a song called “No Roots” by Alice Merton. In context, the Khoisan people migrated from place to place to find better hunting and gathering grounds. Hence they were never rooted in one location for too long. Khoisan(San) Rock Art dates back many centuries. It is one of the first known art forms to date.
Who are the Khoisan?
The San are the first known inhabitants of South Africa and surrounding areas. They were also referred to as the hunter-gatherers or the Bushmen. They had to move around as they kept sheep and other animals that needed fresh grazing grounds. They also created tools, such as spears or sharpen rocks to carve from wood. The Khoisan were believed to have come mainly from Botswana and northern South Africa and travelled throughout the country.
What are Pictographs and What is Rock art?
A pictograph by definition is an understandable symbol that represents a specific object. Pictographs are a rich part of African History. They are believed to tell stories of everyday activities and things as well as some that represent the spiritual world. Rock Art has dated back thousands of years and the paintings use the colour pigments from crushed plants and objects, which are then used to create paintings. The paintings are of human beings, spiritual beings, animals or a mix.
The meanings of rock art?
This art form can be interpreted in more than one way. Some are to believe that the shaman (medicine man) were involved with these paintings as a part of well being of the people. Some pictographs show the rituals and dances the bushmen had done during that time. Other paintings are considered a way to connect to the spiritual world by touching the figures. And lastly a record for their daily activities and to show other tribes that they were there.
References
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fthekhoisanpeople%2F&psig=AOvVaw3NKVv2HYB0UsuBER1c-fgP&ust=1633754899017000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjhxqFwoTCKjf_eyBuvMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAP
https://fs.capilanou.ca/adfs/ls/?client-request-id=ff934878-816f-423c-c807-0080005800dc
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.enca.com%2Flife%2Fhow-origin-khoisan-tells-us-race-has-no-place-human-ancestry&psig=AOvVaw3NKVv2HYB0UsuBER1c-fgP&ust=1633754899017000&source=images&cd=vfe&ved=0CAwQjhxqFwoTCKjf_eyBuvMCFQAAAAAdAAAAABAU
https://www.britannica.com/place/South-Africa/Art#ref920862
https://theculturetrip.com/africa/south-africa/articles/what-to-know-about-the-khoisan-south-africas-first-people/
https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/khoisan
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