San Rock Engravings - Marking the Karoo Landscape

The vast spaces of the Karoo abound with images pecked, incised or engraved onto rock surfaces. These landscape markings, generally known simply as ‘rock engravings’, were created in the pre-colonial period by San hunter-gatherers who roamed this land in search of sustenance and water. Their engravings most commonly (though not always) depict animals such as eland, quagga or elephant, and reflect, in fascinating and unusual ways, the relationship of the San to the harsh environment of the Karoo. San Rock Engravings explores the visual legacy of these ancient artists, the signs they left on the land and the meanings that could be attached to them. Neil Rusch’s superb photographs, complemented by John Parkington’s thought-provoking text, bring to life these enigmatic markings and the way of life of their creators.

Neil Rusch is an independent publisher, writer and photographer. He entered publishing after studying
journalism at Rhodes University and later became the editor of SA Yachting magazine. He has produced
The Mantis, the Eland and the Hunter and other books
in the Follow the San series for the Krakadouw Trust
and the Living Landscape Project.

John Parkington is Professor of Archaeology at the University of Cape Town, and has had a lifelong research interest in southern African hunters and gatherers. He has published a number of academic papers and books on the subject and is involved in the Living Landscape Project in Clanwilliam.