Kondoa Rock Art Site

Natural rock shelters, overhanging slabs of sedimentary rocks broken by rift faults, have been employed for rock painting for at least two millennia on the eastern slopes of the Masai escarpment bordering the Great Rift Valley.

The actual number of rock art sites in the Kondoa area is unknown, although between 150 and 450 decorated rock shelters, caves, and overhanging cliff walls are thought to exist. The locations are on the steep eastern slopes, in an area of beautiful, shattered geological formations that offered the needed cover for the exhibition.

Over millennia, the enormous and rich collection of rock drawings has represented and embodied the cultures of both hunter-gatherer and pastoralist tribes who have lived in the area. They are distinct examples of hunter-gatherer rock art at its northernmost extent, with similarities to images from southern and central Africa, as well as a peculiar streaky style and uncommon depictions of domesticated animals.

Location: Kolo, Tanzania