The various regions of the S.A. West Coast

THE WEST COAST

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Gifberg Rock ArtThe Gifberg Rock sites -
Testimony of the San

Forming the eastern boundary of the 300km Olifants River Valley,the Gifberg (Poison Mountain), the Cedarberg, Bokkeveld and Matsikamma ranges, all part of the ruggedly beautiful Cape Fold Belt, as bordered by Namaqualand and the Atlantic. The Cedarberg mountains are 500 000 000 years old. Water once covered these antediluvian plains, where the first forms of life lived and evolved.

The Gifberg rock art site, set in these mountains which glower over the Knersvlakte (teeth-grit plain) in the north-western Cape, is linked in a vital way to the life of the ancient San Bushman, as it was here that he found the poison for his otherwise puny arrows.

The milky latex extracted from the bulbs of the gifboom, or gifbol (buphane toxicaria poison bush) that grows here, was the source of the deadly neurotoxin with which the Bushman tipped his arrows. Once injected with this poison, the little hunters, who were master trackers, simply needed to follow along the wounded animal's trail until it fell.

San Rock ArtPart of the West Coast Rock Art Route, which explores Bushman art on the West Coast, the Gifberg rock art site is reached by a narrow pass branching off the N7 highway about 15km south of Van Rhynsdorp.

San Bushmen lived throughout Southern Africa for thousands of years, and the ancient hunter-gatherers have left a remarkable legacy of art.

The paintings record their religious experiences and show that the San had a sophisticated belief system and were highly skilled. Not only did they make paint that has lasted thousands of years, but they were also gifted artists who expressed complex conceptual and symbolic thoughts in their paintings.

Spiritual Rock Art in GifbergPaintings at this West Coast rock art site show shamans (healers) and animals bleeding from the nose - the healers often bled thus as they went into a 'healing trance', which they regarded as death and a return to life. They believed the largest and fattest antelope, the eland, provided healing power through the healer in a trance, induced by ritual dance and chanting.

Accommodation for 30 people in self-catering cottages is available at Gifberg as well as hiking trails, and two easily reached sites with fine paintings. These include a healing and bleeding session with cloaked figures.

Special things to see are the massed, bright orange Gifberg Gazanias in spring, and many intriguing small animals such as the crag lizard which complete the picture.

The Gifberg rock art testifies to the fact that the San Bushmen lived a primitive lifestyle yet left a remarkable legacy of art that records their everyday life as well as their spiritual bond with animals, preserved by the trances of their healers.

The Cedarberg mountains are 500 000 000 years old. Water once covered these antediluvian plains, where the first forms of life lived and evolved.

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In an effort to help put this glorious region more firmly on the map, we have pulled together as much information as we can, accrediting authors where necessary and providing links to websites or email addresses. If we have inadvertantly used your article or photograph without giving you full accreditation, we apologise and if you notify us we will rectify this immediately.