Scientists say they have helped solve a major mystery surrounding rock paintings at Kakapel, a celebrated rock art site in western Kenya. The study suggests the paintings were not made by a single group at a single time. Instead, they record thousands of years of human change, from early foragers to later cattle-keeping communities.
The research was led by Catherine Namono and published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa. It builds on decades of work at Kakapel, a rock shelter near Mount Elgon that was first recorded in the 1970s.
Ancient art at Kakapel
Kakapel contains one of Kenya’s most important rock art panels. Earlier researchers had noted cattle, geometric shapes, and layers of red and white pigment. But the dense overlap of images made the site hard to read.
In 2011, Namono and Benjamin Smith spent two weeks recording the paintings in detail. They used careful on-site tracing, photography, and later digital analysis to separate the artwork into four main layers.
That process revealed far more detail than earlier drawings had captured. It also showed that the paintings followed a long sequence.
Four layers tell a longer story
The oldest layer includes faded red and white geometric designs. These include circles, divided shapes, and other abstract forms. Researchers link this layer to hunter-gatherer-fisher communities who lived at Kakapel thousands of years ago.
The study connects this early art to a wider eastern African tradition often linked to “Twa” forager groups. Archaeological evidence shows that people lived at Kakapel as early as about 9,000 years ago.
A later layer shows at least 25 cattle. The animals have long horns and no humps. Researchers believe these paintings were made by Nilotic-speaking agropastoralists, who reached the area much later.
The third layer contains thick white and yellow-white geometric designs painted over the cattle. The final layer includes fine white marks, likely the most recent paintings at the site.
DNA and archaeology support the findings
The study does not rely on art alone. Researchers compared the paintings with excavation results and ancient DNA evidence from human remains found at Kakapel.
One early skeleton showed links to eastern African foragers and genetic affinity with the Mbuti, a Central African hunter-gatherer group. That finding supports the idea that the oldest paintings came from ancient forager communities.
Later remains showed links to Nilotic-speaking populations. This matches the cattle imagery and the later geometric marks, which may have been tied to cattle identity, group symbols, or ritual activity.
Cattle art points to social change
The cattle paintings mark a major shift in Kakapel’s history. They suggest the site later became important to cattle-keeping communities. These groups likely used the shelter for gatherings, ceremonies, or shared social practices.
The researchers say Kakapel’s art shows how new communities entered the region, changed the landscape, and brought new traditions. The site moved from a forager shelter to a place linked with farming, herding, and group rituals.
A rare record of eastern Africa’s past
Kakapel is now one of the best-understood rock art sites in eastern Africa. Its paintings, burials, tools, plant remains, and DNA evidence all point to a long and complex human story.
Researchers say the site does more than preserve ancient images. It records changing identities, migrations, and beliefs across thousands of years.
The findings also show why conservation matters. Kakapel has suffered from graffiti and exposure in the past. It was declared a Kenyan national monument in 2004, after efforts by the National Museums of Kenya and the Trust for African Rock Art.
The new study gives Kakapel a clearer place in African history. Its rock paintings are not random marks on stone. They are a layered record of people who lived, moved, farmed, herded, and remembered their world through art.
See all the latest news from Greece and the world at Greekreporter.com. Contact our newsroom to report an update or send your story, photos and videos. Follow GR on Google News and subscribe here to our daily email!
