Nyero Rock Painting in Uganda
Nyero Rock Painting in Uganda
Nyero Rock Painting in Uganda : Found in Ngora District previously known as Kumi District in Easter Uganda, Nyero Rock Paintings Site is a three tiered rock shelters with primitive on their inner surfaces. From the capital city – Kampala, it is a journey of about 200km.
The Nyero Rock Painting are unique pre-historic paintings dating back before 1250 AD, they are among the oldest of its kind are very interesting to visit, visitors get to enjoy the untold historical stories of the site’s 3 rock shelter panels found on the granite outlook of Moru Ikara, sight of the rock painting features comprising of the stone-age people, animals like zebras as well as concentrated circles found on the surfaces of the three rock shelters.
First documented in 1913 (in the Teso Report), the geometric paintings at Nyero are the most important and well documented rock art sites in Uganda, and are now on the tentative list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The site comprises of six rock shelters in total, initially only three were recorded and referred to as shrines by local communities, who had no knowledge of the origins of the paintings. The authorship of the paintings remains in some debate upto date.
Initially, the rock art was thought to be the work of San/Bushmen of Southern Africa. However, archaeological, genetic and ethnographic evidence has subsequently attributed the paintings to the ancestors of Batwa People, hunter-gatherers who are descendants of ancient aboriginal groups once spread across East and Central Africa and most probably the original inhabitants of this landscape. Today they live in small groups near the mountainous – forested Rwanda/Uganda border.
According to the more recent studies, the rock art was the work of settled human groups and not early hunter-gatherers. It has been proposed that rock shelters were used by semi-nomadic people devoted to animal herding, and used as reference points in the landscape. Generally positioned away from flat land, they may have served to direct herders of cattle and goats towards paths and water. The unknown identity of the rock artists makes dating problematic, but some of the paintings may be up to 12,000 years old.
Archaeologically, Nyero Rock Painting is the site of a Later Iron Age Period. While little is known about the meaning of the art, experts have suggested that the concentric circles may symbolize the Twa’s relationship with the all-providing and protect nature of the forest. Rain making and fertility rituals have been held at some sites until recent times, including one Kenyan Twa Site.
Nyero Rock Art Sites
Nyero 1
This is a small rock shelter on the outer edge of the outcrop comprising six sets of concentric circles with a central image of a floral motif and so-called “acacia pod’ shape. The geometrics in this shelter are all painted in white.
Nyero 2
This is the main shelter, the overhang of which is formed by an enormous boulder (estimated to weigh at least 20,000 tons) which has broken away; a vertical rock against the back wall measures 10m in height. The panel at Nyero 2 consists of more than forty images such as vertical divided sausage shapes, so-called “canoes”, and unidentified fait markings. U shapes, lines and dots, with evidence of superimposition; but is dominated by concentric circles. A unique feature of the paintings are the so-called “canoes” or parts of “canoes”, so –called because of their resemblance in form. The depictions are all painted in shades of red.
The paintings are protected from direct rain by the overhang and rocks to the front and sides protect the paintings from the sun, which is likely to have contributed to their preservation. Early users of the shelter placed ritual gifts on its south-eastern side; the tradition of using this space to place money either before or after receiving help from ancestral spirits is continued by the local community. As well as the rock art, a bone incised with three concentric circles and four parallel lines, pieces of prepared ochre were excavated from this site in 1945. These are the only evidence of prehistoric portable art so far found in Uganda.
Nyero 3
This site is located about eight minutes’ walk from Nyero 2. This shelter is formed by a larger boulder perched on supporting rocks. Painting consist of white concentric circles,the outer circles surrounded by double curved designs, between which are double lines divided into small compartments.
Nyero 4
This is a small shelter on the south-western side of the hill where there are a few terraces of red finger-painted concentric circles, two conical shapes and lines.
Nyero 5
This shelter is situated on the western side of the hill, it has a red geometric motif composed of a combination of circular and linear shapes made with both a brush and finger. However, the images are quite difficult to distinguish as they are damaged by natural water erosion.
Nyero 6
Situated on top of the hill, this shelter has a good view of the landscape. The site features two red finger-painted outlines of small oval shapes and slanting L-shape as well as an outlines of small circle below. The painted surface is now subject to severe exfoliation as it is open to the rain and morning sun.
Locally, the sites at Nyero are believed to have been sacred ancestral places where, in the past, people would have traveled long distances to make offerings of food, beer and money in times of drought, misfortune and for child bird. Also, Nyero was regarded as a magical place where rain ceremonies were held. According to oral histories, strong attachments to the site and individual and community prayers were held seasonally. The antiquity of the images and their association with long-forgetten peoples may serve to enhance Nyero as a special and sacred place for local communities.
What is So Special About The Nyero Rock Paintings?
The Nyero Rock Paintings are believed to have been made by the earlier settlers residing the area. Currently the area is resident area for the Itesot people, legend has it that the area was home for some little people who settled in the area before the Itesots settled here.
Regardless of who drew them, the rock paintings are simply fascinating and a feature to admire. There are a number of people (both local and foreigners) who travel here to just look at these paintings and explore the three caves that contain the drawings.
If you are interested in visiting this archeological site, you can include in your Uganda Safari Itinerary to Kidepo Valley National Park.
How To Get There
Nyero Rock Paintings Site is located in Ngoro District former Kumi District, eastern Uganda, approximately 8 kilometers from Kumi Town, four hours drive from Kampala, Uganda. The route to the rock art site is well sign-posted from Kumi Town (10-15 minutes).
