Read more
It has long been known that all forms of art - rock paintings, carvings and scribings, and also portable sculpture - are present at various locations throughout Africa. This book was the first inclusive survey and brings together in one volume accounts of African rock art which were previously scattered in scholarly monographs, journals and travellers' tales. The range of the coverage is geophysically comprehensive, from the Atlas Mountains to the Cape of Good Hope. The art styles are set into a firm chronological framework, and are displayed against a background of human, physical and cultural evolution. Considerable discussion is also devoted to the varied purposes which the paintings and carvings served in the communities which produced them, looking at the differing interpretations fully and fairly. A fascinating collection of illustrations, some in colour, truly reflects the variety of forms in which African rock art is manifested. Originally published 1984.
List of contents
Foreword J. Desmond Clark 1. Historical Introduction 2. The Study of Rock Art - Aims and Problems 3. Terms and Techniques 4. Africa - the Background, Physical and Climate 5. The Peopling of the Art Regions 6. The Maghreb and Sahara 7. Bovidean Outliers: The Horn of Africa, Kenya, Southern Sudan and West Africa 8. The Central African Art Zone 9. The Central Tanzanian Sub-Region 10. The Southern African Art Zone 11. Art Sub-Region 1: Zimbabwe and North-East Transvaal 12. The Tsodilo Hills 13. Art Sub-Region 2: South-West Africa/ Namibia 14. Art Sub-Region 3: Southern and South-Western Cape 15. Art Sub-Region 4: Drakensberg-Maluti Massif and Surrounding Areas 16. Art Sub-Region 5: The Northern Cape 17. Art Sub-Region 6: South-West Transvaal and Adjoining Areas 18. The Mobiliary Art 19. The Non-Representational Art 20. The Handprints 21. The Overall Picture 22. Problems and Possibilities 23. The Raisons d'etre
Summary
The first inclusive survey. The range of the coverage is geophysically comprehensive, from the Atlas Mountains to the Cape of Good Hope. The art styles are set into a firm chronological framework, and are displayed against a background of human, physical and cultural evolution. Originally published 1984.
