South African rock art

The total number of rock art sites in South Africa certainly is in excess o f 30,000. Collectively, they include well over a million images. However, f ewer than 10,000 sites are listed on official databases. One reason for the lack of documentation is the high cost of establishing and maintaining rec ording programs. There is also a low level of public interest in rock art b ecause both the art and the history of indigenous peoples have been neglect ed in school and university curricula. Matters are improving: At least one postgraduate university course dedicated to rock art will be offered at the University of the Witwatersrand beginning in 1999. Moreover, the gradual i nclusion of cultural resources in heritage conservation and management prog rams is continuing. The significance of the oversight in the past is magnif ied if we consider the fragility of the art and the potential wealth of inf ormation it holds for understanding the evolution of South African society over the past 30,000 years. Rock art is an irreplaceable historical archive of extraordinary value. Although no one would dispute that this art must s urvive intact into the next millennium, research into its meaning is equall y important if we are to convince the public that the art is worth saving. It is in this latter field that South African researchers have made a signi ficant contribution to rock art studies in the past three decades.