Strategy for the preservation of rock art sites in Angola

Rock art is one of the most interesting types of remains for the study of ancient civilisations. It is a fragile and vulnerable form of heritage which can become the subject of degradation as a result of mass tourism and malicious acts. The geographical location of Angola places the country at the heart of a vast grouping of rock art. The sites, which date from the Lower Paleolithic Period to the Neolithic Period (involving megalithic constructions), contain works with an exceptional variety of form, colour and cultural significance.

Between 1999 and 2001 the France-UNESCO Cooperation Agreement was requested to provide experts for developing a strategy for protecting the rock art sites of Southern Angola. A technical assistance mission was organised in 2000 to analyse the condition of the sites and to draw up a project for their conservation, protection and valorisation. The mission recommended the sites be inscribed on the World Heritage List and implementation of a national strategy for the management and valorisation of the sites.