digital photograph(colour)
- Museum number
- 2013,2034.13666
- Description
-
Digital photograph (colour); view of engraved rock art on a rock on the ground, showing landscape in the background. The rock art shows three parallel rows of round cupules running vertically up a boulder and horizontally to the right at the base of the boulder. Some pebbles sit in three of the left-hand cupules. A 10cm photo scale is fitted at the base of the image. Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Kenya.
Scanned
- Production date
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August 2004 (original photograph)
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09 May 2006 (date digitized)
- Dimensions
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File size: 124 megabytes
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Resolution: 300 dots per inch
- Curator's comments
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For detail see 2013,2034.13665.
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The Lewa area contains both rock paintings and engraved cupules. It has been suggested that cupules have been used for playing Bao, the local variant of the mancala board game, but this may not be their originally intended use.
Some paintings in the area appear to correspond to the tradition of rock painting by initiated men from Maa- speaking societies during meat feasting activities. Traditionally, Samburu and Maasai men may not eat meat in their home compounds and so cook and eat livestock together, some distance away, often at rock shelter sites. During this time they may mark the shelter walls with images reflecting animal brand marks or clan symbols. It is unknown whether the images at this site correspond to this tradition. Other motifs, particularly concentric circles, may be the worth of Batwa (hunter-gatherer peoples).
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 2013
- Department
- Africa, Oceania and the Americas
- Registration number
- 2013,2034.13666
- Additional IDs
-
Previous owner/ex-collection number: KENNEP0010003 (TARA number)
