- Tsodilo
Infobox World Heritage Site
WHS = Tsodilo
State Party = BOT
Type = Cultural
Criteria = i, iii, vi
ID = 1021
Region = Africa
Year = 2001
Session = 25th
Link = http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1021Tsodilo is a
UNESCO World Heritage Site located in northwesternBotswana . It was inscribed in2001 due to its uniquereligious and spiritual significance to local peoples, as well as its unique record ofhuman settlement over several millennia. It contains over 4,500 rock paintings in an area of approximately 10 km² within theKalahari Desert .There are four main hills. The highest is 1400 metres
AMSL and located at coord|18|46|18|S|21|45|15|E|type:landmark|display=inline,title. The four hills are commonly described as the "Male", this is the highest, the "Female", "Child" and an un-named knoll.There is a managed campsite between the two largest hills. It is near the most famous of the San paintings at the site, the Laurens van der Post Panel.
These hills are of great cultural and spiritual significance to the San peoples of the Kalahari. It is believed that the caves and caverns of the "Female" hill are the resting places of the deceased and various gods who rule the world from here. The most sacred place is near the top of the "Male" hill, where it is said that the First Spirit knelt and prayed after creating the world. The San believe that you may still see the impression of the First Spirits' knees in the rock. [http://www.botswana-tourism.gov.bw/attractions/tsodilo.html]
Most of the San rock paintings are found on the "Female" hill, the most famous being the "Whale" painting, "Two Rhinos" and the "Lion" on the Eastern face of the "Father". There are numerous other paintings, but relatively few on the outlying hills. Indeed there are so many paintings in obscure places that it is very unlikely they have all been discovered or documented.
There are recently installed trails and signs but the paintings are difficult to find without a knowledgeable guide.
The hills can be reached via a good graded dirt road and are about 40 km from
Shakawe . There is also an airstrip.External links
REFERENCES(2000) Pancorbo, Luis: "Al fin las colinas de Tsodilo" en "Tiempo de África". Pp. 280-286. Laertes, Barcelona. ISBN 84-7584-438-3
* [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/15970442/from/RS.3/ Article about possibly 70000 year old python statue]
* [http://www.apollon.uio.no/vis/art/2006_4/Artikler/python_english World’s oldest ritual discovered]
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