South African rock art

The total number of rock art sites in South Africa certainly is in excess of 30,000. Collectively, they include well over a million images. However, fewer than 10,000 sites are listed on official databases. One reason for the lack of documentation is the high cost of establishing and maintaining recording programs. There is also a low level of public interest in rock art because both the art and the history of indigenous peoples have been neglected in school and university curricula. Matters are improving: At least one postgraduate university course dedicated to rock art will be offered at the University of the Witwatersrand beginning in 1999. Moreover, the gradual inclusion of cultural resources in heritage conservation and management programs is continuing. The significance of the oversight in the past is magnified if we consider the fragility of the art and the potential wealth of information it holds for understanding the evolution of South African society over the past 30,000 years. Rock art is an irreplaceable historical archive of extraordinary value. Although no one would dispute that this art must survive intact into the next millennium, research into its meaning is equally important if we are to convince the public that the art is worth saving. It is in this latter field that South African researchers have made a significant contribution to rock art studies in the past three decades.