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Namibia

Apollo 11 Cave

Rock shelter with ancient art slabs

Time Periods

Paleolithic

Paleolithic

Mesolithic

Mesolithic

Neolithic

Neolithic

Chalcolithic

Chalcolithic

Bronze Age

Bronze Age

Iron Age

Iron Age

Classical Period

Classical Period

Post-Classical Period

Post-Classical Period

Early Modern Period

Early Modern Period

Industrial Period

Industrial Period

Contemporary Period

Contemporary Period

Location

About

The Apollo 11 Cave, located in the ǀAi-ǀAis/Richtersveld Transfrontier Park of Namibia, is an archaeological site renowned for its ancient rock art. Accumulated over at least 40 millennia, the site's deposits indicate a series of human occupational phases dating from around 71,000 to 29,000 years ago. The cave, more of a rock shelter, is famous for its seven quartzite slabs known as the Apollo 11 Stones, which include some of the oldest mobile and figurative art ever discovered in Africa, carbon-dated to approximately 30,000 years BP. The art features therianthropic depictions, combining human and animal features, alongside simpler geometric paintings and riverbed engravings. Despite its significance, the site was found vandalized in 2007, prompting calls for its preservation.

Gallery

Explore photographs of ancient structures, artifacts, and archaeological excavations at Apollo 11 Cave

FileApollo-11-cave-stone-zebra.jpg
FileApollo-11-cave-therianthrope.jpg

Archaeological Features

Explore the unique architectural and cultural elements found at this historical site

Artistic and Decorative Features

Cave PaintingsPetroglyphs

Domestic and Habitation Structures

Caves

Historical Timeline

Journey through time and discover key events in this site's archaeological history

Plan Your Visit

Details

Country
Namibia
Source
Wikipedia