Thousands of years ago, when the San peoples ancestors lived in the land we call Namibia, it was wetter and greener, teaming with the animals that we are accustomed to seeing on the grasslands of the Serengeti. The rivers that are now dry for most of the year, flowed across this land all of the time, enriching and feeding the life that spent its time here.

Books, let alone paper were not available, so the question is “how did the elders and hunters pass on the important cultural knowledge to the young men and woman of the clan”?.

In this part of Namibia the San’s ancestors have left us with an incredibly tantalising glimpse into their world of education. In amongst the collapsed cliffs of Twyfelfontein the rocks are covered with carvings of the animals that were a part of the artist’s life. The carvings look so fresh and not only are there pictures of Lion, Giraffe, Elephant and a myriad of antelopes but the spoor of these animals is also carved exquisitely into the rock and so that no mistake of identification can be made, are joined by a line to the foot of the animal that it represents. We can surmise from this that the young hunters learnt from theses carvings how to put the footprint and its maker together.

As you follow the path from one rock to another it is awe-inspiring to say the least. You can almost feel the spirit of these craftsman, imagine them talking quietly amongst themselves as they worked away at the red rock. When you find out, that these works of art were actually carved high up on the cliff-face above you and in a continuous freeze, stretching for hundreds of yards, you just gaze up silently and thoughtfully at the cliff-face in a respectful wonder.