Section 1.1: The Doro Nawas Mountains Discovery

In the Doro Nawas Mountains of central-western Namibia, archaeologists have been uncovering numerous rock art representations over the years. As with similar sites worldwide, deciphering these carvings poses significant challenges. The tracks, intricately carved into the stone, were initially undetermined in terms of species. Among these carvings, human footprints were also present.

The creators of these ancient engravings vanished many millennia ago. To enhance their understanding, a team of German archaeologists enlisted the help of local indigenous trackers from the Kalahari Desert. This partnership proved fruitful, as the trackers successfully identified the species, gender, and age category for over 90% of the 513 carvings analyzed. The results of this research were recently published in the journal "Plos One."

[Photo by Jessie Crettenden from Pexels] Section 1.2: The Variety of Animal Tracks -------------------------------------------------------------

The archaeological team discovered more than five hundred unique track representations across two rock panels, with over 100 identified as human tracks. Local experts indicated that a majority of these human tracks were attributed to young males.

The rock panels featured a diverse array of animal tracks, including those of giraffes, kudus, springboks, various birds, white and black rhinoceroses, ostriches, hartebeests, leopards, zebras, and bushpigs. Less frequently found tracks belonged to animals such as baboons and elephants. Among the 400+ animal tracks, over 300 were made by adults, while just under 100 were from younger animals.

The article notes, "The clear predominance of adult tracks applies to almost all species, with three exceptions: bushpig, duiker [a type of antelope], and rhinoceros, where the number of adult and juvenile tracks is roughly equal." Furthermore, the trackers categorized the symbolic footprints by gender, finding that 227 belonged to males and 180 to females. Notably, for species like buffalo, kudu, and leopards, females were more prevalent in the data.

The analysis also highlighted age distribution, revealing that while more young female tracks were present, adult tracks showed a reversal with a higher number of males. Most tracks were individual, and carved paths were relatively rare.

[Photo by Riccardo Parretti from Pexels] Chapter 2: Dating the Ancient Carvings ==========================================================

Determining the age of these rock carvings is complex, with estimates ranging from 5,000 to 1,000 years ago. Due to the lack of organic material, traditional radiocarbon dating methods cannot be applied to these stone carvings. Thus, age determination is largely reliant on stylistic analysis, which can lead to imprecise conclusions.

Section 2.1: Evolving Approaches in Archaeology

The collaborative model of archaeology has seen a shift in recent years, particularly in the Middle East and Africa. Historically, researchers would conduct excavations and publish their findings in languages inaccessible to local populations, limiting community involvement to manual labor.

Today, "engaged archaeology" is becoming increasingly significant, promoting extensive partnerships with local communities. The goal is for residents of the research areas to benefit in diverse ways beyond mere financial compensation. The German research initiative in Namibia exemplifies this trend, as archaeologists worked closely with local trackers from Nyae Nyae Conservancy in Tsumkwe, allowing for a more accurate interpretation of the carvings.