Twyfelfontein is one of Namibias most curious attractions. Unlike Namibias well-known wildlife attractions. This place offers a different variety of ancient rock paintings located in the dusty Kunene region of northwestern Namibia, which is considered the heart of the north. Over here, there is a spring that is the only water source in the area. It is adjoined by the awkward slopes of the sandstone Table Mountains. There is very little rainfall in the area.
This wondrous site has been inhabited for over six millennia. It was first the home of hunter-gatherers and consequently by Khoikhoi herders. These ethnic groups revered this site and conducted shamanist rituals here. During that time they created at least 2,500 rock carvings and beautiful rock paintings. The area is also quite popular because of the picturesque, table Mountains and rolling savannah hills.
This site is known for several natural rock formations. Famous of them is the “lion`s mouth” rock formation and the Tafoni. There are 16 smaller sites that showcase other artwork. Some ancient stone tools were excavated in the area and the shape of some of these tools show that they were used on rock, leather, and woodworking. Table Mountain of the area has the best views of the valley and surrounding areas.
It was tagged by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 2007. Twyfelfontein is one of the largest concentrations of rock petroglyphs in Africa. The site is seen as one of the high-quality evidence of the hunter- gatherer communities.
Some of the rock art can be found in 14 smaller sizes. These sites were introduced by Scherz on his first site survey. They include North of the Place of Ceremonies which consist of 65 engravings and 2 large giraffes with a fine-perked infill. Place of Ceremonies which holds more than 175 engravings, a cave with rock paintings and rare engravings, The Seven Slabs 150-175 engravings, 2 superimposition engravings and 4-toed human footprint and one parent-child grouping. All these sites showcase the rich cultural history and are unsurprisingly an important heritage site.