1st Edition

The Rock Art of Africa

By A.R. Willcox Copyright 1984
    332 Pages
    by Routledge

    332 Pages
    by Routledge

    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.

    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

    Biography

    A.R. Willcox