| Main centres: | 1-3 business days |
| Regional areas: | 3-4 business days |
| Remote areas: | 3-5 business days |
Wits University Press, 1992, hardcover, large landscape format, illustrated, 124 pages, condition: new.FIRST EDITION, SECOND IMPRESSION (UK), Hamish Hamilton, June 1962, hardcover, 528 pages, condition: new.
A seminal archaeological and art history book , the work is a comprehensive study of the petroglyphs (rock engravings) created by the Bushmen (San) people across the central parts of Southern Africa, some of which date back over 10,000 years.
The book serves as both a scholarly analysis and a high-quality visual record of Southern African rock art heritage:
Dowsons central research argues that these engravings are not mere records of daily life but have deep ritual associations. He posits they were often executed by shamans following trance states, using the rock face as a "veil" between the physical and spiritual worlds.
The volume features a magnificent collection of full-colour photographs, rubbings, and drawings. These document variety in style, from pecked engravings of rhinoceros and eland to complex geometric motifs like grids, dots, and zigzags.
The text explains how specific animals and figures served as metaphors for social and religious concepts, such as the eland bull representing marriage or spiritual potency.
Dowson incorporates interviews with local inhabitants and traditional folk tales to provide context for the creative impetus behind the art.
