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The Twyfelfontein World Heritage Site is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Namibia. In today’s blog, you will learn more about why Twyfelfontein is worth a visit.
With a distance of almost 100 km, Khorixas is the nearest bigger town from Twyfelfontein. From here, a couple of dusty tracks lead through a desolate, but fascinating, landscape. At the end of the road, a unique open-air museum of Stone Age hunter-gatherer art awaits visitors. Welcome to the World Heritage Site of Twyfelfontein! Welcome to /Ui-//aes, or “in the middle of the rock”, as the descendants of the artists call this sacred place. You will be welcomed by a guide who will take you on a tour to show you this protected cultural centre.
The ruins of Twyfelfontein
You’ll be thirsty to wash the dust out of your throat after the first few metres already. Desolate and ominous, a ruin will appear before you. A first sign of life and decay… but here? Did someone really live in this quarry and survive in this desert? Almost impossible to imagine, but actually: The Levin Family used to live here, and the ruin was a small, simple stone house with no electricity or running water. Like many pioneers of European descent at the time, the Levins hoped for a new start far away – on a small farm that they could call their own. Chickens, goats, sheep, horses, and donkeys lived alongside them in the rocky landscape. The surrounding greenery didn’t seem to be enough to keep them alive.
Water was the biggest challenge. It was the only way the Levins could meet everyone’s drinking needs and set up a small, modest garden for their own use. A sparsely flowing spring was only a few metres from the cairn they had modelled. But would it provide enough water until the start of the rainy season – year after year? That’s probably why David, the father of the family, spent many sleepless nights under the sea of stars protected by the Mopane trees before he started building the house. He may have been inspired and strengthened by howling jackals, barking geckos and the gentle sound of the wind. But the doubts about the reliability of the water source remained. That’s how the place got its name: Twyfelfountain – doubtful fountain.
His wife did not survive the hardships and died young at the age of 42. David stayed. But in 1965, the Apartheid government decided to create a homeland for the Damara people in this area. This marked the end of the project that had started in 1947. Non-Damara like Levin had to leave the area. The things they left behind, decayed.
You can visit Twyfelfontein as part of this self-drive tour or this guided tour.
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The art museum next door
Behind the ruins, you can see the first rock engravings in the red sandstone. As well as depictions of human and animal footprints, you can also see animals such as rhinos, elephants, ostriches, and giraffes. Under the overhanging rock, you can also find animal figures painted with red ochre. These works of art have been decorating the rocks for almost 6,000 years. Impressive that they are so well-preserved.
Although this gallery of ancient art is next door to the old Levin site, the family probably never met the artists. They were nomadic hunters and gatherers who belonged to the SAN people. For thousands of years, they roamed the area and recorded their natural and spiritual encounters, experiences, and memories on the rocks. Soft sandstone, like here at Twyfelfontein, was ideal for their engravings. Hard granite rock, like at the Spitzkoppe, is where they made their drawings. For the recognition of this site as a World Heritage Site, UNESCO emphasises the following criteria:
“The site forms a coherent, comprehensive, and high-quality record of ritual practices related to hunter-gatherer communities in this part of southern Africa over at least 2,000 years and eloquently illustrates the links between the ritual and economic practices …“
Some rock carvings provided orientation and study material for subsequent SAN groups. This includes a map showing water holes and a board with pictures of human and animal tracks.
Twyfelfontein in Namibia: Protected World Heritage
Levin’s children probably loved to play amongst the rocks of Twyfelfontein. Even though we don’t know how respectfully they treated the ancient petroglyphs, it is safe to say that the site was declared a National Monument in 1952 because of the threat to its cultural heritage. Many visitors saw this place as a popular ‘takeaway’ destination. But at first, monument protection didn’t do enough to protect the site. If anything, it made the site an attraction and encouraged more tourism. In the 1980s, the danger became more apparent: vandalism in the form of graffiti, fragmentation from attempts to remove parts of the engraved stone tablets, and signs of wear from careless stepping on them.
The new Namibia, independent since 1990, decided to go down the road of having Twyfelfontein recognised as a World Heritage Site. In doing so, they made a commitment to do everything humanly possible to protect the archives of history carved in stone: 235 stone slabs with, 2075 clearly identifiable drawings and engravings in the core area and hundreds of other works of art around it. The recognition by UNESCO in 2007 was a milestone.
What makes the Twyfelfontein in Namibia so special? Its size and engraving technique
If you know the Spitzkoppe or the Brandberg in Namibia, the Tsodilo Hills in Botswana, or the Drakensberg in South Africa, you may have seen some San art already. Above all, those places captivate through rock paintings. The art is painted, not carved. Twyfelfontein’s great speciality is its engraving technique. In addition, Twyfelfontein enjoys special recognition in rock art research due to its size, complexity, and the good condition of the engravings.
The images that can be found here support the general consensus in rock art research, that most works were created after ritual experiences. Examples include images of animals such as eland and giraffe. They have a very special ritual meaning and show details that represent ritual activities or supernatural transformations. But no worries: the guide by your side will bring the story to life. He or she will show you a sample section of the museum gallery, take you to the “dancing kudu” and the lion with its tail at right angles.
Once back at the visitors centre you will find much needed shade. There is also a small bar with a light, non-alcoholic menu, as well as a souvenir shop with items from local artisans. It is also interesting to view the picture exhibition in the foyer. Here you can see the impressive animals of the area and learn about the Levin Family’s life. It’s the end of your journey back in time, but what remains is a vague understanding of how our ancestors lived in this part of the world and what mattered to them.
Of Namibia’s two World Heritage Sites, Twyfelfontein is the country’s only UNESCO-recognized World Cultural Heritage Site. A good reason to make the detour through the fantastically beautiful landscape and to be overwhelmed by the history of the rock engravings. We are happy to answer any questions and support you in planning your Namibia trip, whether you are on a guided tour or a self-drive trip. Get in touch with us!
Author: Juan Proll
