In this talk, Dr Laue tackles the rich and complex rock art traditions of the Waterberg in Limpopo province. Her talk draws on her recently published book, together with Lyn Wadley, called 𝑅𝑜𝑐𝑘 𝐴𝑟𝑡 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑏𝑒𝑟𝑔: 𝑅𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑇𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛.

 

The book is based on years of fieldwork and explores how Bushman hunter-gatherers, Bantu-speaking farmers, and possibly Khoekhoe herders interacted with one another and engaged with the landscape in the past 2000 years. Ghilraen and Lyn consider how these different communities shared, influenced, and responded to one another’s beliefs and ritual practices.

They pay particular attention to initiation ceremonies, altered states of consciousness, transformation, and the spiritual dimensions of hunting.