Chongoni Rock Art

In the lush and beautiful forested granite hills just north-west of Dedza, in Central Malawi, is the Chongoni Rock Art Area. Numerous natural shelters house ancient rock paintings which constitute the densest cluster of rock art found in central Africa. There are paintings by BaTwa hunter-gatherers who lived in this area from the late Stone Age onwards, and also show the tradition of farmer rock art, which is very rarely found. The symbols in the art have strong female associations and still have cultural relevance today for the Chewa people. Some of the 127 sites are still active locations for rituals and ceremonies. The area is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

This amazing collection of preserved ancient arts records the and traditions of the Chewa agriculturalists and their cultural history right up to the twentieth century. From their early transition form foragers to food producers, through Ngoni invasions, right up to the arrival of the colonial Europeans.

The numerous sites and caves are dotted across the Chongoni Forest Reserve which runs alongside the M1 road just to the north-west of Dedza. There are no visitor facilities at Chongoni, not even a reception or visitor centre, but some of the sites are easy to find and, for others, the necessary guides can be found locally. Head to Dedza Pottery for further advice and guidance.

For further information about one of the sites, NamZeze, there is an article on the British Museum website as part of their African Rock Art project: click here to read it.