Chongoni Rock Art Area
The Chongoni Rock Art Area is a region containing 127 rock art and painting sites depicting the farmer community of the Late Stone Age and Iron Age, located in the forested hills of the Malawi plateau in the Central Region of Malawi.
| Chongoni Rock Art Area | |
|---|---|
Rock painting in Chongoni Rock Art Area | |
| Location | Dedza District, Central, Malawi |
| Nearest town | Dedza |
| Coordinates | 14°17′36″S 34°16′45″E |
| Area | 126.40 km2 (48.80 sq mi) |
| Established | July 12, 2006 |
UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | iii, vi |
| Designated | 2006 (30th session) |
| Reference no. | 476rev |
| Region | Africa |
The rock arts are in granite formations and consist of art depictions attributed to the hunter gatherer community of BaTwa who lived here during the stone age period, and of the farming community of Chewa who are traced to the Iron Age period. In view of this cultural importance, the area was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 under Criteria III for the rich cultural traditions of rock art and Criteria VI for its continued link to present society. The rock art symbolizing rituals and ceremonies is mostly the creation of the women of Chewa clan. The "agropastoralist" art form of the tribes, which represents their perception of use and control of their natural habitat, was continued by the Bantu tribes in Chongoni.