Damaraland in Namibia
Damaraland‘s vase semi-desert wilderness is some of Namibia’s most beautiful lands. Home to the regions famous desert-adapted elephants and black rhino, and a handful of small local communities, it’s the areas untouched serenity that draws people to the area. Discover the wealth of Bushman rock art paintings are set out to track the world’s rare wildlife endemic to the Damaraland.
Damaraland is sparsely populated and is bewitching with what surrounds the town as something so supernatural. The geology of the organ pipes, the nature of solitude, and a petrified forests ancient signs from an older world, light up the place and make the area magical.
More about Namibia’s desert-adapted elephants (click here)
What to see and do in southern Damaraland
- Brandberg rock massif and it’s famous “White Lady” Bushman rock painting
- Twyfelfontein, UNESCO World Heritage Site
- Petrified forest
- Organ Pipes
- Tracking desert-adapted elephants (guided and organized from your lodge)
Brandberg
The Brandberg massif nests south of the Ugab River, about 40 km northwest of the small dust town of Uis. When leaving Uis, turn right on the C35 road and after 30 kilometers, turn left on the D2359 road leading to the White Lady of Damarland. It is believed that the area was once a volcano set in a vast plateau of volcanic rock some 120 million years ago. After years of chemical and weather erosion, the surrounding lava stone vanished back into the earth, exposing the massive dome of granite that once was the magma chamber. The exposed chamber, which is now known as Brandberg, has been shelter and home for the San for thousands of years and holds great significance to this day.
Brandberg is the site of Konigstein, the tallest mountain in Namibia and Damaraland, towering at 8,236 ft (2,574 m). It is also an internationally renowned site for ancient rock paintings; including the famous White Lady rock paintings seen from Maack’s Shelter. The shelter is named after the surveyor, Maack, who discovered the White Lady along with other paintings in 1917. It wasn’t until 1955 that the White Lady painting was copied and described by French archaeologist and cleric Abbe Henri Breuil that it became internationally recognized, mostly by rock-art specialists. Since its public acclaim, the White Lady’s true meaning and origin have been discussed and debated. Some believe it is neither white nor a lady, but rather a traditional healer wearing body paint. The site is also home to paintings of lions, giraffe, and ostrich. The Brandberg rock paintings are believed to be 2,000-4,000 years old.
To see the paintings, walk up the Tsisab Gorge to Maack’s Shelter, which generally takes about an hour. The route is well marked, and should not be taken under the midday sun. The desert temperatures will prove too strenuous on your body. There are also local tours conducted by the Daureb Mountain Guides.
Twyfelfontein
The most popular attraction in Damaraland. In 2007, the World Heritage Committee awarded Twyfelfontein’s rock engravings with World Heritage status. Located in the Huab Valley west of Khorixas, Twyfelfontein is home to over 2,000 rock engravings and is one of Africa’s largest. From the C39 road, turn left onto D2612 and about 15 km later turn right onto the D3254, after about another 11 km turn right onto the D3214. Park entrance fees are N30 p/p.
It is believed prehistoric artists created these now prestigious paintings between 2,000-6,000 years ago. Stone artifacts, tools, ostrich eggshell beads, and pottery of the typical San hunter-gatherer traditional lifestyle have been found and excavated in the area.
The engravings are mostly of what the people knew, including animals and geometric designs. Human pictures are rarely depicted, yet are evident. It is thought the animals and the way they are depicted, along with the geometric designs, are images seen through the eyes of traditional healers. Traditionally, the San believe that when a traditional healer is at work, he enters a trance, in the spiritual world. The traditional healer then takes the form of a supernatural creature, usually familiar animals like elephant, giraffe, or lion. These animals were thought to have special powers for healing the sick or could bring rain. Thus the engravings of animals are thought to have these purposes, rather than just art of animals in the area.
It is also believed the sights of the engravings were specifically chosen to meet the demands of the traditional healer, or the needs of the people, looking to something higher than themselves. Some of the engravings are in cracks or fissures, possibly acting as doorways to the supernatural world, while others may be strategically placed to guide energy from the supernatural for guiding an upcoming journey. It is also thought, the engravings were created during the dry season when there was a shortage of water and people were drawn to the natural springs flowing in the area. The truth is no one really knows why they were created, making this place so enigmatic.
The Rock Art Centre in Twyfelfontein Damaraland is excellent for learning more about the area, the ancient peoples, and the background of the rock engravings and origin of site. It is definitely worth visiting.
Burnt Mountain
From Twyfelfontein, turn right onto D3254 and follow it until the road ends. It is believed about 200 million years ago the karoo limestones were deposited here in Damaraland, and then 120 million years ago volcanic activity sprouted, intruding the limestone and metamorphosing into black, carbonaceous shale. The extreme temperatures from the magma and lava baked the shale, leaving it charred brown, black, red, and yellow; colors produced during the oxidation of the rich iron minerals found in the stone, giving you the appearance you see today.
Petrified Forest
Well marked by signs along the C39 road that bisects Damaraland. Declared a national monument in the 1950s, today it is a National Heritage Site. The fossilized tree trunks are believed to be 240-300 million years old, and are actually driftwood logs that had been taken down by a westward flowing river and deposited in the area. About 50 remnants of trees can be seen here, often mistaken for logs.
Organ Pipes
After turning off the C39, follow the D2612 for 17 km and the area is on your left (look for the gorge and parking area). This outcrop of volcanic rock was created in much the same way as Burnt Mountain. The dolomite, or intrusive basalt, formed the perpendicular slabs of stone you see today, some 130-250 million years ago. The pillars of stone formed when basalt had been forced into confined spaces, where it then crystallized into pillar basalt, giving its geometric presence. A very unique geological formation in Damaraland.