Rock Art & Symbolic Expression

A Southern Africa – France Dialogue

At this state of research, Southern Africa can be considered as the cradle of art and symbolism, as the earliest evidence of graphic expression have been found in South African archaeological sites, dated about 80 000 – 100 000 years ago. On the one hand, thousands of rock art sites have been mapped in Southern Africa, on the other hand, rock art in France is among the oldest and the richest in the world (Chauvet-Pont d’Arc, 36 0000 BP; Lascaux, 17 000 BP). This series of public lectures aims to offer a dialogue between Southern African and French rock art heritage and to discuss the origins of symbolic expression at the dawn of modern mankind.

This Public Lecture Series is organised by IFAS-Recherche, in partnership with Origins Centre, the Rock Art Research Institute (Wits University) and Sci-Bono Discovery Centre.

All lectures: 18:00 for 18:30

 

The Visionary Animal
Renaud Ego
5 April | Origins Centre

 

Cold animals, vibrant images. Lascaux and stone age rock art in Europe
Camille Bourdier (Université Jean-Jaurès / UMR Traces)
15 May | Origins Centre

 

To be or not to be: A look at the place of Zimbabwean rock art in Southern Africa
Ancila Nhamo (University of Zimbabwe)
16 May| Sci-Bono Speak2AScientist

 

Lascaux: Why a cave became a sanctuary
David Lewis-Williams (RARI / Wits University)
23 May | Sci-Bono Speak2AScientist

 

100 years of rock art research in Mozambique: Challenges for the interpretation of Southern African prehistory
Décio Muianga (Universidade Eduardo Mondlane)
14 June | Sci-Bono Speak2AScientist

 

“The Mind in the Cave”: The book behind explaining Lascaux
Sam Challis (RARI / Wits University)
28 June | Sci-Bono Speak2AScientist

 

Hunter-gatherers and herders in South Africa: From final to ceramic LSA in the Limpopo basin
Iris Guillemard (Université Paris Nanterre / AnTET)
Karim Sadr (Wits University)
3 July | ⚠️ 13:15 | Origins Building, Wits University

 

On the origins of modern cognition and symbolic thinking – roots in the Middle Stone Age
Lyn Wadley (ESI / Wits University)
19 July | Origins Centre

 

Social groups, technical traditions and pottery handicraft. Ethnographic examples from Ethiopia 
Jessie Cauliez (CNRS / UMR Traces)
26 July | ⚠️ 13:15 | Origins Building, Wits University

 

Rock art in Uganda
Catherine Namomo (RARI / Wits University)
26 July | Origins Centre

 

San religion and rock art
David Pearce (RARI / Wits University)
2 August | Origins Centre

 

Exploring regional variation in Southern African rock art
Ndukuyakhe Ndlovu (University of Pretoria)
20 September | Origins Centre

 

Rock art in Namibia
Alma Mekondjo Nankela (National Heritage Council of Namibia)
25 October | Origins Centre

 

The mobilisation of South African data within rock arts’ ritual interpretations
Romain Lahaye (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne / IMAF)
13 November |⚠️ 13:15 | Origins Building, Wits University

 

“Through the veil”: Science unveils mysteries of San rock paintings in the Drakensberg and in Botswana
Adelphine Bonneau (University of Oxford)
6 December | Origins Centre