Twyfelfontein

Twyfelfontein

Twyfelfontein, located in the northwestern part of Namibia, is a mesmerizing ancient site with a rich history of 6000 years. The area features a valley that has a spring, which lies amidst the slopes of a sandstone table mountain, making it a perfect spot for worship and shamanistic rituals. Twyfelfontein was an essential site for the hunter-gatherers of Stone Age, and later by Khoikhoi herders, who used it to carry out their religious and spiritual practices. The valley is home to numerous rock engravings and paintings, and it is estimated that there are at least 2,500 of them. These rock art pieces are believed to have been created by the hunter-gatherers and Khoikhoi people who inhabited the region. The rock art at Twyfelfontein is a splendid example of human creativity and artistry. Since 2007, Twyfelfontein has been recognized by UNESCO as Namibia's first World Heritage Site and one of the largest concentrations of rock art in Africa. The area is a true testament to the ancient human culture and their way of life. The site was discovered by Reinhard Maack, a topographer, in 1921. David Levin conducted a further investigation in 1947. He was struggling to get enough water from the spring, and so he had his doubts about its capacity. This led to him being jokingly called David Twyfelfontein, which became the name of the property when he bought it in 1948. The scientific study of the rock art began in 1950 by Ernst Rudolph Scherz, who described over 2500 engravings on sandstone slabs. Today, it is believed that the site contains more than 5000 individual images.