The Tsodilo Hills – The Mountains of the Gods.

The Tsodilo Hills are located in the northwest of Botswana,  a UNESCO World Heritage site also sometimes referred to as the Louvre of the desert for having one of the highest immersions of rock arts in the world with over 4,500 paintings. Tsodilo Hills are spirituals grounds for the San and Hambukushu communities that have inhabited the region for hundreds of years.

There are four main hills in the region, the highest reaching 1,400 metres, which is one of the highest points in Botswana. These hills are described as the “Male” (the highest), “Female”, “Child”, plus an unnamed knoll. During Safaris in Botswana, you can reach these hills on a graded road, about 40 km from Shakawe.

Although safaris here are less popular compared to the other top safari destinations in Botswana like Chobe National Park and Okavango Delta, these hills are an ideal destination for visitors interested in hiking and cultural experience. During safaris in Botswana’s Tsodilo Hills visitors can stay in different campsites, with one located between the two largest hills, with showers and toilets. From the campsite, the most famous of the San paintings at the site, the Laurens van der Post panel is just a few minutes away, with a small museum and an airstrip near the campsite.

 

Significant features at Tsodilo Hills

The archaeologists mention that there were activities that were carried out including tooling, shell beading, fish hooking as far as 90,000 to 100,000 years. With over 500 sites displayed with painting and engravings of animals and people credited to the San people, with some dating back to 800-1300 AD, while others are significantly older and some are potentially 10,000 to 20,000 years old. The paintings are largely located near the female hill portraying animals, humans and mathematical patterns often using red rust colored liquid. Tsodilo hills are known as the mountain of the gods and believe to be the resting place for spirits, the python cave is considered sacred and water from the area is believed to be blessed.

Rhino Cave

One of the most well-known features at Tsodilo Hills is Rhino Cave, located in is found at the northern end of Female Hill. The cave has two main walls covered with paintings that visitors can see during safaris. On the north side, there is a white rhino painting (which gives the cave its name), and next to it is a painting of a giraffe.

When archaeologists dug into the cave floor, they found many stone tools. However, they did not find other common items like ostrich eggshells, bone tools, pottery, or iron objects. The only other remains were a few pieces of mongongo nut shells from the Later Stone Age.

Charcoal found in the cave shows that people used it during different time periods, including the Middle Stone Age, Later Stone Age, and African Iron Age. Most of the stone tools from the Later Stone Age were made from local materials like quartz and jasper.

Most of the cave paintings are on the north wall and are painted in red or reddish-orange. The rhino is the only one painted in white. Around the rhino and giraffe are many red geometric designs. On the opposite wall, there are grooves and holes carved into the rock, possibly made using stone tools.

White Paintings

The white rock paintings at Tsodilo Hills are linked to Bantu people. Many of them are found in a place called White Paintings Rock Shelter on Male Hill, although there are also some red paintings there. These paintings show both wild and domestic animals, as well as human-like figures. The human figures are often drawn with their hands on their hips. Some are shown riding horses, which suggests these paintings were made after the mid-1800s, when horses arrived in the area.

Red Paintings

There are many red rock paintings all over Tsodilo Hills. In Rhino Cave, some red paintings seem older than the white rhino painting. These red artworks are believed to have been made by the San people.

Depression Rock Shelter Site

This site is on the northwest side of Female Hill and is named after the holes and grooves carved into its walls. Alongside these marks are red paintings that look like cattle and geometric shapes. Charcoal dating shows that people lived here at least 30,000 years ago. Archaeologists found Later Stone Age tools and Iron Age items at the site.

Pottery from the deepest layers dates back to around the first century and is connected to some of the oldest stone tools found in the area. Mongongo nut shells were also found in all layers, even the deepest ones, making them the oldest known examples of these nuts found in an archaeological setting.

Activities and attractions of the Tsodilo Hills

Guided Rock Art Tours is the one of the primary activities through guidance tourists are highly recommended to locate over 4,500 paintings across 500+ sites and these include the famous Eland and Rhino panels.

Hill Hiking to several trails existing the male, female and the child hill including popular lion trail, cliffs and Rhino, these often have amazing views surrounding the Kalahari.

Guests can visit the Python Cave with a naturally formed snake like shaped which is considered very sacred and spiritual place.

Visiting Community Museum which provides context about the sites’ history and the San people.

Interaction with local people to learn about the spiritual significances of the hills during the Cultural Experiences.

Primitive Camping is allowed in the area offering the closest connections to the desert environment.

The surrounding savannah offers the best opportunities for Bird Watching.

There are some of the practical tips that are communicated to the travellers before setting off, these are hiring local guides to find the best art and learning more about the history.

Wear sturdy shoes, bring plenty of water and sun protector,

The hills are accessible by road often with 4×4 usually in combination with the trips to the Okavango landscapes