IDNO

P.64276.BUR

Description

Margaret Burkitt under an umbrella standing below the granite outcrop of Domboshowa Rocks.

Place

S Africa; Zimbabwe; near Harare; Domboshawa [Rhodesia]

Cultural Affliation

Named Person

Margaret Burkitt

Photographer

Burkitt, Miles Crawford

Collector / Expedition

Burkitt, Miles Crawford

Date

1927

Collection Name

Burkitt Collection

Source

Burkitt, Miles Crawford

Format

Print Black & White

Primary Documentation

Other Information

P.64202.BUR to P.64285.BUR and P.65862.BUR were found inside the envelope now numbered C123/4/5/. This envelope, which originally contained a set of 15 postcards of the British Museum, was found inside the fourth drawer (C123/4/) of the entire green cabinet now numbered C123/.

Place: The Domboshowa Rocks and Painted Cave Site is one of the most substantive rock art sites in Zimbabwe. A huge granite outcrop is eroded and forms an erosional and wind cave, more or less large overhanging cliffs or shelters also called abri.
The cave contains rock paintings, otherwise known as Bushmen or San paintings. It has an almost 100m long panel of paintings which are well preserved. The paintings shows human figures (male and female) and hunting scenes. The brown-colored cave paintings are about 13,000 years old, the black-colored paintings perhaps 2,000. The Stone Age occupation of the site is evidenced by numerous quartz chips found on the ground [Source: www.showcaves.com/english/misc/caves/Dombashawa.html [SW 11/12/2006].

Bibliographical Reference: Burkitt. M. C. 1928. South Africa’s Past in Stone and Paint. London. Cambridge University Press. Photograph reproduced as Plate V with the caption “Dombashawa near Salisbury: general view and paintings”.

This catalogue record has been updated with the support of the Getty Getty Grant Program Two. [Sarah Worden 2/11/2006]