Truitjieskraal #2: San Rock Art
The cache, a small camo-taped push-topped sample tube, is hidden on the edge of this stunning rock-art site along the Truitjieskraal interpretive trail which has numerous boards giving fascinating info on the numerous points of interest along the trail.
For information on how to reach Truitjieskraal, see GC9C2AV Truitjieskraal #1 Rocky Wonderland Vista.
To Reach the Cache Location: park at the start of the interpretive trail @ S 32 32.814 E 19 19.841 and follow the trail from the introductory/welcome board the short distance up to the rock art cave. The cache is hidden towards the left end of the cave.
Once at the cave, if you look closely at the paintings, you will see that the one over to the right features a group of 7 people – 5 are dancing women and the two on either side are male trance healers. The dances were held for the healers to gain power from the spirit world to heal the sick and help the community.
Another low down on the wall shows a line of 6 eland which the San believed could help them reach the spirit world to obtain the power to heal and make rain. Many of their paintings represent spiritual experiences and associated animals.
Compared with red ochre paint, the white paint used 
to depict the quagga on the back wall did not bind well with the rock and has faded more rapidly.
Patterns of parallel lines may also be seen in some parts of the site, the meaning of which is not known.
On the left wall is an image of a man with a hook head – the result of the fading of the white paint used for the face.
Low down on the left is a line of black dots painted by Khoekhoe herders using fingertips to apply the paint. Other finger paintings include people, handprints, geometric patterns and lines.
Another image shows 3 male dancers, the two on the left have strange ears of horns. When in a trance the shamans sometimes felt like they were becoming animals. The half-human, half-animal figures are called therianthropes.
San hunter-gathered paintings are in the ‘fine line tradition’ having thin, delicate lines. Finely ground ochre - an earthy pigment containing ferric oxide, typically with clay, varying from light yellow to brown or red – white clay, charcoal or black manganese oxide were mixed with binders like blood, fat, milk, and plant juices and applied with brushes made from animal hair, feathers or porcupine quills.
See here for a comprehensive and well-illustrated site on African rock art.