Twyfelfontein

The name, "Doubtful fountain," was given by local farmer who doubted that a local spring could support cattle for a long enough time.

Twyfelfontein contains the largest known concentration of Stone Age petroglyphs in the country. Although the area was declared a national monument in 1952 some engravings were damaged and even removed. There are approximately 2,500 engravings in the area. The age of engravings has not been determined precisely but there is evidence that area was occupied 6,000 years ago.

I'm not sure when we'll get here, but the recommended time for a visit is early morning or late afternoon on account of high temperatures and the fact that engravings are not easy visible under direct sunlight.

From here, we'll continue through the the Damaraland region with its "vast and rugged terrain" to the Organ Pipes, a mass of perpendicular dolerite pillars located down the river bed. They were formed about 120 million years ago.

It's not the fountain I doubt but my feeble mind's ability to grasp 6,000-year-old bushmen paintings or pillars dating back 120 million years.


Written on December 15 and autoposted to correlate with the trip.

Tag: Namibia Vacation Travel