There is a unique attraction in the western part of Botswana, near the border with Namibia, among the desert plains of the Kalahari. It represents the hills called Tsodilo Hills. And their uniqueness lies in the fact that more than four thousand of the most ancient rock paintings are applied to them.
After examining these ancient rock carvings, scientists have suggested that many of the drawings are about 100 thousand years old. Others were applied over the next millennia. That is, the drawings reflect the life, culture, activities and development of a person over a hundred thousand years. There are, however, some breaks in this peculiar artistic and historical chronicle.
Despite the difficult natural conditions, people - the Bushmen tribes - still live near this world famous landmark. They believe in their ancient legends that the spirits of their ancestors either constantly live on the Tsodilo hills or are often visited. Therefore, they endow the hills with special energetic strength and come here to stock up on energy, communicate with ancestors, seek wisdom and knowledge. They also consider this place to be the center of the universe.
And before, for many millennia, people lived right on these hills. They were the ones who painted on the rocks what happened in their lives. The last of the rock paintings of the Tsodil hills date back to the 19th century. In total, scientists have counted that at least 4500 thousand drawings were applied on the hills. They are conventionally divided into 500 zones - according to the times. All drawings are well preserved due to the high resistance of quartzite rocks to erosion. Now all excavations are controlled by the local authorities.
The entire ancient complex of Tsodilo can be roughly divided into four main hills. The highest hill is called “masculine”. Its height is almost one and a half kilometers. Behind this hill are three more: "female", "child" and nameless. Although the locals believe that the unnamed hill is the grooming of the first abandoned wife. In general, the "male" hill of the Tsodilo complex is considered the highest geographical point of the whole of Botswana.
One of the most important and distinctive features of the Tsodilo rock carvings found in the Botswana hills is that the paintings are predominantly white and red. Most often, the drawings are geometric symbols, images of ritual dances. Images of animals are also common. Moreover, there are such inexplicable pictures that depict, for example, a whale. It should be noted that the closest coast to these places is 1100 kilometers. And the local tribes can hardly be called marine peoples. Therefore, how could they know and imagine whales so well is an unsolved mystery.
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Also at the sites of excavations and archaeological research were found fragments of ancient jewelry, ceramics, human bones. Artifacts from the Iron Age have also been found. Among them are pieces of jewelry: chains, necklaces, rings, pendants, bracelets. There are also metal tools made of iron and copper: arrows, shells, chisels and blades.
Now for tourists who want to get to know the sights of Botswana better, there is a whole camping. It is split between the largest hills of the complex. The campsites even have a shower and toilet. And also nearby you can visit the Museum of Archeology, which stores all the relics found. You can get to this place by air transport, as well as along the winding road from Shakave in an SUV. There are specially developed hiking trails for tourists.