Spitzkoppe

Situated south-east of the Pondok Mountains, which form part of the Spitzkoppe Mountain range, is the Bushman Paradise Cave, located to the north-east of Usakos. It can be found at the base of a cliff, and the foot of the slope is often washed by rain. It can be reached by following a road leading from the Spitzkoppe Mountains along the base of the Pondok Mountain. A short but exhilarating mountain hike leads to the top, with chain handholds to assist you on your way up to the cave itself, as the slope is smooth and slippery in places. At the top of the cave, and at the end of the chain handholds, an amphitheatre is to the right, and the paintings can be found under the overhang at the head of the amphitheatre.

This cave has been known to Europeans since the beginning of the 20th century, and at the time of their discovery, the paintings were documented as 'one of the finest collections of rock art in Namibia'. It was in 1917 that the first archaeological excavations were undertaken at Bushman Paradise Cave by the geologist E. Reuning.

In 1948, the archaeologist Abbé H. Breuil noted that 'the convex rear wall of the shelter is covered from end to end with paintings, some of them excellent.' The rock art is believed to date from approximately 4,400 BCE to 100 AD. Unfortunately, today the paintings are badly damaged due to vandalism and careless handling by visitors and tourists, particularly those who throw water and soft drinks on the paintings to enhance them for photography. A few years later, the German archaeologist Dr ER Scherz described the following figures inside the cave:

• A giraffe
• Hartebeest
• Two hippopotami
• A jackal
• A kudu
• Numerous human figures
• A rhinoceros
• A sphinx with a thin body and thick buttocks

The rock paintings in the Bushman Paradise Cave were proclaimed a national monument on July, 1 1954. The monument designation includes not only the main cave but also two additional caves located diagonally opposite the main cave, which contain paintings, as well as a waterfall below them with its catchment area. The Bushman Paradise site is part of a larger heritage area, with over 28 documented rock art sites surrounding the Spitzkoppe Village.