Twyfelfontein

Twyfelfontein means "doubtful fountain". The spring here is not a very reliable source of water now, but the bushmen found it so long ago. The surrounding area is full of their rock carvings and paintings.

Landscape

Dry riverbeds are the roads in this beautiful desert area. Basalt lava cooling underground formed the hexagonal columns of the "organpipes" formation (second photograph).

landscape organ pipes formation Burnt Mountain donkey cart rock rock rock dunes and hills

Petroglyphs

Bushmen got around: this area is a long way from the coast, but there are two engravings of fur seals among the other animal images. The lion image (last photograph) is the most famous.

seal petroglyph zebra petroglyph giraffe petroglyph giraffe petroglyph lion petroglyph

Rock paintings

The second panel shows the famous "white lady of the Brandberg", though the image is almost certainly that of a man. Charlotte found the giraffe paintings more interesting, since giraffes are no longer found in this area. There are thousands of bushman paintings in the Brandberg mountains.

woman painting "white lady" painting giraffes painting zebra painting antelopes painting rock paintings panel rock painting panel

Animal life

The chacma baboons and the desert-adapted elephants live in the seasonal river beds. The agamas live in very dry areas.

chacma baboon

desert elephant desert elephant and calf desert elephant desert elephant and calf

female Namibian rock agama male Namibian rock agama

Bird life

Rueppell's korhaan unknown bird African red-eyed bulbul

Plant life

flowers flower

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Last modified 4 November 2019