Driekops Eiland

Driekops Eiland is an archaeological site located in the Riet River near Plooysburg, South Africa, known for its extensive collection of rock engravings or petroglyphs. The site features over 3500 individual engravings, primarily geometric designs, etched into the glaciated basement rock of the riverbed. These engravings are often submerged when the river's water level rises. The artwork is believed to have been created in two main phases, the first occurring before approximately 500 BCE and the second after around 1000 CE. The site is significant for debates regarding the authorship and cultural origins of rock art in Southern Africa, with some specialists attributing the geometric designs to a Khoekhoe herder tradition. The site also holds cultural and ritual significance, potentially linked to Khoe-San social practices and beliefs about water and spirit worlds.