The Bambiri Rock Engravings site is located within the Silverstream estate in the Chimanimani district of southeastern Zimbabwe known for its geological composition of sandstone and quartzite. In contrast to other rock engraving sites in Hwange and Mwenezi, the Bambiri rock engravings exhibit a remarkable level of intricacy and diversity including motifs of rosettes, dumb-bells, curved lines, oval shapes, and circles surrounded by dots.
Scholars contend that the Bambiri site served as a central meeting place adorned with engravings, cupules, and a monolith. The argument extends to the method of execution, proposing that the engravings were created using a pecking method on small slabs scattered across an open space. The site boasts seven engraved rocks, with two showcasing geometric engravings and five featuring cupules. The subject matter of the engravings in Chimanimani significantly deviates from those found elsewhere, suggesting the involvement of distinct groups of creators.
The site represents an irreplaceable heritage susceptible to irreversible deterioration. The concentration of rock engravings is under threat from both human activities and natural processes.
Click on the images to enlarge.
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Close up of Bambiri geometirc engraving
© Portia Mlambo -
Pecked geometric motifs
© Portia Mlambo
There are only four known and recorded sites with rock engravings in Zimbabwe. Two of them, including Bambiri, are geometric engravings.
Sources
1. Cooke, C. K. 1963. The Painting Sequence in the Rock Art of Southern Rhodesia. The South African Archaeological Bulletin 18 (72) [Link]
2. Mlambo, P. (2016). Zimbabwean Past Engraved: A Characterisation and Analysis of Spatial variation in the Rock Engravings of Zimbabwe. Unpublished MA Dissertation, University of Zimbabwe.
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