The Makalo Rock-Paintings of Nyamwezi

Summary A shelter containing mainly geometrical paintings has been disclosed in Unyamwezi, in an area hitherto unconnected with such sites. It would seem from the attitude of the Nunguli secret society towards these paintings, their apparent age, and the general lack of local knowledge about them, that they are of pre-Nyamwezi origin. The nature of the geometric shapes suggest that they may have some symbolic significance, perhaps through sun worship or for some as yet unidentified purpose, and their similarity to shapes in other Tanzanian sites raises the possibility of a connexion.