New Approach to Cave Art Zimbabwe

The material for the book is based on the four large caves at Musambura, Northeast of HARARE with a comparison material from the other large caves and boulders in Zimbabwe. It reassesses half a century of research on cave art in the country and presents a new approach for the interpretation of the old images. The high pic photographic material consists of 186 high pic images subjected to various imaging software.

The approach is based on the Cosmology of the San as expressed in the large and majestic caves. It enables a more sophisticated analysis than earlier by stratification of the material into traditions and periods:

- The Ancient San, from the last Ice Age to the Humid Period

- The San, from the End of the Humid Period until the arrival of the Early BaNtu

- The Late San from the arrival of the Early BaNtu until the Demise of the Late San and

- The Demise of the Late San

The analysis discusses and revises several assumptions and interpretations of earlier cave art contributions especially professor Peter Garlake as well as the contemporary contributions from New Animism (Descola, Harvey, Willerslev).

The results of the book are used in the local conservation efforts by public authorities in Zimbabwe.