Geometric rock art in Lake Victoria Region of Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda (Kenya)

Description

Rock art, whether painted or engraved, serves as windows into the past, offering us insights into the lives of people who lived within specific landscapes. Research over many decades has taught us that these paintings and engravings were not simply for decorative purposes. Rather, these images were representations of spiritually important experiences (Lewis-Williams 1981; Smith 1997; Namono 2010; Ndlovu 2013). Such findings were a significant move from the days when interpretations of rock art were highly simplistic – anchored on the belief that authors of paintings and engravings were not human enough.

The African continent is characterized by various kind of rock art, dotted throughout the continent. These vary at many levels and beyond simple stylistic analyses. For instance, the southern African region is well known for the many fine-line paintings made largely along the coastal areas. As a result, there are several rock art landscapes that have been inscribed as World Heritage Sites. Among these are the (i) Maloti Drakensberg Park, a transboundary site covering Lesotho and South Africa, (ii) Matopo Hills in Zimbabwe, (iii) Tsodilo Hills in Botswana, and Twyfelfontein in Namibia. The dominance of rock art among the inscribed sites of southern Africa is not replicated in East Africa. Kondoa rock art landscape stands tall as the only one that has been inscribed into the list of World Heritage Sites (Bwasiri 2016).

The Geometrick Rock Art Sites in Lake Victoria Region (Figure 1), which is mainly geometric in style, is meant to address this imbalance, to ensure that rock art of the East African region is given the international recognition it qualifies for. This rock art region has not attracted the same level of interest as in other areas of the African continent – and this is no negative judgement against the imagery, but simply that East Africa was only intermittently researched for the rock art made by the Pygmy people. Research has, however, uncovered the extent to which these rock art images are similarly imbued with spiritual potency (Namono, 2010a, 2010b, 2011, 2012; see Chaplin 1974; Mabulla 2005).

Lake Victoria Region – anchored around the 69,484 square km Lake Victoria, the largest of its kind in Africa and the main reservoir for the Nile – covers the eastern parts of Uganda, the northern areas of Tanzania, and the western areas of Kenya. This region has many rock art sites. However, and for the purpose of the intended inscription, a specific number of sites from the Lake Victoria Region have been identified: 24 in Uganda (six at the Dolwe Island and 18 within the Kumi District), three in Kenya (Mfagano Island has two sites – Kwitone and Mawanga – and the Kakapel shelter), and 46 in Tanzania (four at Bukoba, 24 at Muleba, two at Mwanza, nine at Bukoba District, and seven at Musoma). All these sites are found on granite outcrops. Among the motifs found within all these rock art sites are the large and red geometric finger-painted shapes connected with fertility and potency among the Pygmy hunter-gatherers (Namono, 2010a, 2010b, 2011, 2012; see Chaplin 1974; Mabulla 2005; Namono 2010b; Hollman 2017). Existing understanding, based on dating studies undertaken at two sites in Uganda (Nyero and Kakoro), is that rock art paintings were made between 1,000 and 5,000 years ago.

This proposed transboundary site follows the 2015 decision taken at the 39^th session of the World Heritage Committee held in Bonn (Decision 39 COM 8B.9), to explore the geometric rock art sites found within the broader region encompassing Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. Subsequently, a revised comparative analysis was submitted in 2017, which led to the decision by UNESCO that a transboundary serial nomination be considered by the three countries of Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. This was after extensive surveys of the Lake Victoria Region for rock art sites within the three countries.

Name(s) of the component part(s)

Description of the component part(s)

All the rock art sites that have been identified and included in the proposed nomination and inscription of the transboundary World Heritage Site (Geometric rock art of the Lake Victoria Region) are found around the majestic Lake Victoria that traverses three countries: Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania. This is not only Africa’s largest lake but is also the only tropical lake of its size throughout the world (see Hickling 1961). The Lake Victoria was named after the British Queen Victoria by the first European credited with being the first settler to have seen it.

The lake, formed on a shallow depression, is known to be home to many animal species (Kingdon 1997; Spawls et al. 2002), ranging from mammals (i.e. hippopotamus, waterbuck, African clawless otter, etc.) and reptiles (i.e. Nile crocodiles, African helmeted turtles, etc.). Not only is this landscape vital for its biodiversity, it is also a location that was inhabited by many populations over time, one of which were the Pygmy people.

Like other areas in southern Africa, where variation of rock art has created specific zones with related imagery, the same is evident in the Lake Victoria Region. This is evident in the fine-line paintings of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park (Lesotho and South Africa) inscribed into the World Heritage List. In the same vein, the northern area of South Africa has rock art that closely resembles that of southern areas of Zimbabwe. This is not surprising, considering that those who authored the paintings and engraving were not subjected to what are now international borders between various countries. It could be argued, therefore, that the Lake Victoria provided habitable surroundings from which the rich tradition of making rock art prospered. Several similarities have been noted across the international boundaries. For example, a painting of concentric designs characterised by radiating spikes (moon/sun-like) were recorded at Chole rock art (Site 1) in Tanzania, at the Mwanza District (Nyankira Village). These resembles those that were recorded at the Mfangano Island in Kenya, as well as the Dolwe Island and Nyero in Uganda. Rock hollows or grinding grooves (see Soper 1968) were recorded at the same site, Chole rock art (Site 1) in Tanzania, even though they were not as many as those discovered at Bukangwa site 1, Dolwe island. To illustrate yet another case of regional similarity of rock art imagery, one can refer to the Nyakingi site in Tanzania, at the Musoma District (Kasoma Village) – where local people tell a story of how fighting between various groups of people led to the tendency to accumulate piles of stones which proved to be vital weapons during conflicts against an attacking army. Beyond the borders of Tanzania, the same ‘tradition’ has been recorded at the rock art site at Dolwe Island.

List of sites in Kenya

Mfangano Island (Homa bay County)

Mawanga: The Mawanga rock art site on Mfangano Island, Kenya, is another remarkable prehistoric site within the Lake Victoria Basin that captivates scholars and visitors alike with its ancient artworks. This site is distinguished by its intriguing collection of rock paintings that include intricate geometric patterns, human figures, and representations of local wildlife, offering a window into the cultural and spiritual life of the region's early inhabitants. Mawanga's art is crucial for understanding the symbolic and communicative roles that such paintings played in ancient societies, suggesting a complex understanding of cosmology, social structure, and the natural world. Like other rock art locations in and around Lake Victoria, the artworks at Mawanga hint at a broader cultural and artistic network across the basin, illustrating the interconnectedness of these ancient communities. The preservation and study of Mawanga not only enriches our appreciation of East Africa's prehistoric artistry but also underscore the island's significance in the broader narrative of human history and cultural expression in the Lake Victoria region.

Kakapel (Busia County)

Kakapel: The Kakapel rock art site, is a crucial archaeological landmark within the Lake Victoria Basin, offering a glimpse into the prehistoric cultures of the region. This site is renowned for its extensive collection of ancient rock art, including distinctive geometric patterns and representations of animals and human figures. These artworks not only highlight the artistic skills and environmental interactions of early communities but also share striking similarities with other geometric rock arts across the basin, suggesting a broad cultural or symbolic connection among the ancient populations in this area. By comparing the motifs and themes at Kakapel with those at other sites, researchers can unravel the cultural, spiritual, and social narratives of the Lake Victoria Basin's prehistoric inhabitants, underlining the site's significance in understanding the region's ancient heritage.

Justification of Outstanding Universal Value

Criterion (iii): Lake Victoria Region rock art, defined by the finger-painted red geometric motifs, is a representation of a cultural tradition that began well over four millennia ago in this East African locality. Fertility and potency were at the core of this rock art tradition authored by the Pygmy hunter-gatherers. While the Pygmy hunter-gatherers might have ceased to exist, the spiritual relevance of the rock art images they left behind still has much relevance to the current African population living within the surroundings – who use these sites for fertility and rain.

Criterion (vi): In maintaining the spiritual potency of rock art sites, local people use some of the rock art sites for the purpose of fertility and rainmaking (Posnansky & Nelson 1968). This is an important aspect, as it safeguards a long existing cultural tradition – across time, generations, and populations. Thus, the Lake Victoria Region has outstanding aspects of values that have been incorporated in contemporary beliefs and practices, an exceptional case compared to many other areas around the world.

Statements of authenticity and/or integrity

While natural factors have affected rock art imagery, what remains is illustrative of the significance of the hunter-gatherer paintings, not only to the Pygmy people, but even the African population that is now living within the landscape with rock art. The spiritual importance over such an extensive of time is highly indicative of the impact ritual purposes have over those who seek the divine intervention by their various ailments and lack of rain. Several rock art sites within the territory of Tanzania, Kenya, and Uganda have proved to still carry spiritual significance, with various groups visiting them to conduct ritual activities.

Justification of the selection of the component part(s) in relation to the future nomination as a whole

The discovery of rock art, across international borders linking three countries together (Uganda, Kenya, and Tanzania), is testament to the existence of a long history of producing paintings and engravings imbued with spiritual power. Some of these sites are still being used by the local inhabitants, continuing the management of these localities for their spiritual power.

The relevance of rock art, beyond tourism, to local inhabitants is important in safeguarding it further – for the benefit of future generations. This illustrates the significance of Lake Victoria Region, as the place with a tradition of rock art that has continued over centuries.

Comparison with other similar properties

Rock art is not uniquely found in East Africa, but throughout the continent. While there is extensive regional variation in rock art, whether painted or engraved, the imagery of the Lake Victoria Region is imbued with spiritual potency. This has been found to be the same conclusion reached throughout the continent – when rock art studies have been undertaken. Yet, and unlike in southern Africa, the area does not have an extensive ethnographic record from which to draw interpretations of rock art. Like the fine-line paintings of the Maloti-Drakensberg Park in Lesotho and South Africa, Matopo Hills in Zimbabwe, Tsodilo Hills in Botswana, and Twyfelfontein in Botswana, rock art from the Lake Victoria region is well preserved and continues to be of critical relevance to various population groups. There has been only one transnational boundary World Heritage Site (Maloti-Drakensberg Park) with a cultural significance informed by rock art. The first inscription, proposed by South Africa, was in 2001 while the extension into Sehlabathebe in Lesotho occurred in 2013. All the southern African rock art areas that have been inscribed as World Heritage Sites were occupied by Bushmen people when the images were produced. No rock art authored by the Pygmy, like that of the Lake Victoria Region, has previously been accorded international recognition.