San Rock Art
The rock art on the reserve points to the Karoo’s fascinating cultural history.
Samara’s corner of the Great Karoo is a land of immense historical significance, of age-old cultures, intrepid explorers, colourful pioneers and eccentric characters. Ancient Stone Age sites with evidence of tools and weapons have been found in the floodplains of the rivers that traverse the reserve.
One of the last Stone Age peoples, the San, inhabited the craggy hills of the Camdeboo region until the late 19th century. Nomadic hunter-gatherers, they made their homes under rocky outcrops and in sheltered valleys. Khoi Khoi people, themselves semi-nomadic pastoralists, also traversed the region with their flocks of livestock.
A shelter has been found on a rocky overhang at Samara, with rock art believed to have been painted by both San and Khoi Khoi people who would have utilised the cave at different points in time. The most striking painting is that of a feline, believed by experts to be a cheetah. Other motifs include finger prints and wild animals like eland and elephant.
Guests can hike to the rock paintings with their guiding team to learn more about the art and its artists – a fascinating insight into the region’s cultural past.
Delve into the Karoo's history
Explore the karoo's ancient culture
