Apollo 11 Cave Stones

The Apollo 11 Cave rock shelter is home to some of the oldest known figurative artworks in Africa, preserved on hand-sized slabs of quartzite which were painted with charcoal, ochre and white pigment. These pieces offer insight into early human symbolic thought and artistic expression.

The shelter is situated in the Huns Mountains (now part of the *ǁAi‑/Ais Richtersveld Transfrontier Park) in southern Namibia, approximately 250 km southwest of Keetmanshoop. The front of the shelter overlooks a dry gorge, about twenty metres above the ancient riverbed. Access is restricted and typically research-oriented; it is not a standard tourist stop and requires prior arrangement with heritage authorities. Due to its fragile state and remote location, visitor access is severely restricted.

Between 1969 and the early 1970s, archaeologist W.E. Wendt excavated the shelter and uncovered seven painted quartzite slabs (the so-called “Apollo 11 Stones”) showing animal figures and therianthropic (human/animal mixed) forms. Radiocarbon dating placed the archaeological layer in which the slabs were found at about c.25,500–25,300 years BP, making them at that time the oldest reliably dated figurative artworks from Africa. The find suggests that early modern humans in southern Africa were already engaged in symbolic and possibly ritualistic art-making during the Middle Stone Age. 

Some of the biggest highlights of these artworks include:

• A celebrated slab depicts a hybrid creature: a feline-like body with human hind-legs, faint oryx-style horns and a bovid-style underbelly. 
• Other slabs show animals in profile, rendered with care and intentionality. 
• The paintings are “portable” art—painted slabs rather than wall-paintings—and were buried in a single small deposit less than two metres square. 
• In the same shelter were found Later Stone Age paintings on the walls (white & red zig-zags, handprints), and engravings on riverbed boulders close by. 

Due to the remote, dry environment and protected location inside the rock shelter, the Apollo 11 slabs are well-preserved in museum conditions. However, the site itself has suffered vandalism and erosion, and is now under strict heritage protection. The slabs themselves are held at the *National Museum of Namibia in Windhoek.

Due to its high significance, remote setting and restricted access, the Apollo 11 Cave is seldom open to casual visitors. Researchers and specialist groups must obtain permission in advance through Namibia’s heritage authorities. Visitors should be aware that the terrain is rugged, services are minimal, and the focus is on conservation rather than tourism. If you are planning a specialist heritage trip, coordination with local guides and the park authority is essential.