Nsangwini Bushman Paintings

Nsangwini Bushman Paintings is one of the most beautiful historical sites in Swaziland, preserving the country's greatest bushman paintings. In 1955, the caverns were found. The paintings, on the other hand, have been more difficult to date: they might be anywhere between 400 and 4,000 years old and were most likely painted over hundreds of years. This was the work of the San and predates colonial times, regardless of their age. Various creatures, including elephants, lions, and the only rock-art wildebeest south of the Zambezi, are vividly outlined on the rock.

The human figures are even more interesting. Some appear to be hunters, as they move in a line, spears in hand. Others are stranger, appearing to float on elevated legs and adorned with feathers and, in one example, a mantis' head. The figures to the right of a vertical crack in the rock appear unnaturally tall.

Archaeologists currently think that these paintings were created while in a shamanic trance and that many of them have symbolic significance. Red ochre and animal blood were used to create the masterpiece, which was done with incredible delicacy and accuracy. Given the ravages of time, its survival is a miracle, let alone in such vivid color and clarity.

Location: Kwakheni, Eswatini