Botswana: The mystery of the Tsodilo Hills

Anton Crone visits the Tsodilo Hills whose walls tell the stories of thousands of years of civilisation

As we squeezed between the boulders leading to the cave, we saw the enormous head of the rock python. It loomed well within striking distance and we imagined the ancient people filled with awe for this mammoth beast.

They would surely have recognised the voice of the python as it echoed in the cave and perhaps bowed in submission as they edged closer, hoisting their spears - not in attack, but in reverence, for there they would apply themselves to sharpening their spear heads and cutting tools along its hard, scaly flank.

An old friend, Bruce, and I were in Tsodilo Hills, Botswana, in late December. It was one of the hottest times of the year but relief came in thunder clouds. It was the beginning of the rainy season and already the scrub and low trees of the surrounding plains were lush and green.

After we turned off the main road between Sepupa and Shakawe, a 40km gravel road drew us to the hills that dominated the plains like sentinels. From the entrance to this world heritage site, reaching the main campsite at the foot of the hills meant driving our Landcruiser through mud that would have bogged down a normal car. But we imagined in the dry season it would be easily accessible. As it was, we shared the main campsite with only a Kiwi couple.

The campsite was neat and well spread out with ablutions and a museum recounting the history of the hills and their inhabitants, the San and the Hambukushu.

Remarkably, camping is free, with about eight individual sites under trees. There were a few more remote campsites dotted around the hills without any facilities, but for our first few nights we decided this would be our base.

Through the leaves, one could see the towering rocks that formed the western face of Female hill, one of three prominent hills, the others being the pyramidal Male hill (the tallest, to the south) and Child hill (the smallest, to the north). As suggested, we hired a guide the next day for R200 and set off early to explore Female hill.

The hills have been visited and occupied by people for over 100000 years. Evidence of an ancient lake bed at the foot of the hills tells a story of abundance. Rock paintings depicting animals and people form the greatest concentration of rock art in the world numbering more than 3500 individual pieces.

Behind dense foliage, one finds small mines carved into the rock for specularite stone, which was used for adornment. W ater has left long trails of white, blue and purple down the sides of the rocks, and a spring holding water throughout the year is believed to be guarded by a python against all predators with paws - unless they ask permission to drink. T oday, people visit this site to perform spiritual rituals.

The hills are an enduring book, the stone pages recounting thousands of years of civilisation. One can read the story of their rituals and their reverence for the animals by which they survived. Paintings of eland, giraffe, rhino and kudu abound, as well as geometric patterns and dancing people, the most fascinating being the "dance of the penises" depicting men with engorged phalluses almost as long as they are tall. They say this depiction was inspired by a trance-like state in which the men perceived the immensity of their virility.

We decided to explore by ourselves on the second day, to climb a deep gully that cut into the east face of Female hill. We were on the hunt for undiscovered paintings, even though every inch of the hills must have been explored.

Our excitement was piqued when we found two panels of art hidden behind dense foliage: a snake-like rune of circles dotted in places as if denoting orbiting planets, and a lone giraffe beside rows of lines that could have symbolised rain or long grass. After this, we entered the bottom of the gully full of optimism. We climbed the cool rocks and searched , coming across a few shallow mines.

Clambering over huge boulders and stretching our limbs to attain finger or foot holds, it became clear that the smaller ancients would have struggled up here, explaining perhaps the lack of art, but the vista over the plains as we gained height was our reward, the heated landscape peppered with trees stretching endlessly to the East, inviting rain clouds that were forming above the saturated Okavango. As we climbed further we came across a lone flame lily and we studied it for a while, its colour and crown-like petals a wonderful respite.

Reaching the top of Female hill, we drifted apart and explored on our own. It is possible to get lost up there as the trees and grass hide the trails and the vast, featureless hillcrest makes it difficult to find any landmarks. A myth goes that a man wanders here as a lost ghost, luring people to follow him to safety, whereupon they too are lost. We eventually regrouped by calling out to one another in this lonely, disorientating place.

In the campsite, afternoons were spent dozing in the heat, followed by more exploring in the evenings. After sunset, we would eat and spend a quiet night sipping whisky and talking. All was quiet except for our musings, the footfalls of kudus and the call of francolins and barn owls. A spotted eagle owl alighted nearby, a fresh mouse in its talons and, under the glow of our flashlight, went about devouring the creature.

Caves and overhangs where people may have sheltered and performed rituals are common among the hills. Their shade and cool rocks were welcoming in the heat and on Male hill, beneath one vast overhang called White Paintings Shelter, we rested for a while and admired the wall, decorated with an elephant. The white bull is surrounded by many geometric designs, along with animals and human figures, some of which are on horses. Sifting through the sand, we found shards of ancient pottery with geometric decorations.

The rock python in Rhino cave, hidden in the northern side of Female hill, is one of the most intriguing stories of the hills and we urged our guide to take us there. It was a long trek around the hill's base to reach the cave, so we took the Landcruiser as far as we could along a sandy track and then hiked the rest of the way.

The "python" is in fact a 6m-long section of rock protruding from the cave wall opposite a white painting of a rhino. The snake's side is indented with cupules and long grooves, scraped away with spearheads and cutting tools, which were then ritually deposited here as a sacrifice to the great python.

This, in essence, what Sheila Coulson, professor of archaeology from the university of Trømso, Norway, proposed in 2006 after digging beneath the snake-like form. There she found over 13000 artefacts - stone spearheads and cutting tools that she deduced had been used in rituals because many of them had been burnt. She thought they had been sacrificed to the python, a creature the San revered. believing that mankind descended from the snake. They also believed it created the arid stream beds as it circled the hills in an endless search for water.

Coulson's discovery sparked controversy as she claimed the cupules and artefacts dated back 70000 years, making this the oldest site of human ritual in the world. Many archeologists were sceptical of her theory and, as well as disputing the dates, questioned the rock's resemblance to a snake.

Coulson went on to discover a chamber behind this protruding monolith. The worn sides of the passage leading to this chamber suggest that people passed through there. This, she supposed, was where a shaman hid during the rituals. "He would have had a good view of the inside of the cave while remaining hidden himself," she said. "When he spoke from his hiding place, it could have seemed as if the voice came from the snake itself. The shaman would have been able to control everything."

We eventually found the entrance to the chamber. Bruce clambered up and vanished, leaving the guide and me alone in the cave. Soon a loud, demonic clicking litany echoed against the walls surrounding us - Bruce's mock Khoisan. Of course, we found it amusing but, as his voice filled the cave, I realised the sway the shaman might have held over the superstitious people.

Driving back to the camp along the sandy track, the guide spotted a rock python in the grass. Bruce clambered out to get a glimpse. The python suddenly rushed across the track at him, a 2.5m-long beast, lunging and baring the full horror of its mouth. Bruce leapt out of the way and the python slithered by, vanishing into the long grass - along with any doubt about Coulson's theory.

On our last night, we moved to a more remote campsite, not far from the place we had encountered the snake. We took in the sunset from the red shoulder of Female hill and made our way back down to the camp in the dimming light. The air was still that night, Orion dominated the sky, and the only sounds were the barn owls, and a faint rustle in the grass. In sleep, we dreamt of wandering ghosts and pythons.

Getting there:

By road: Tsodilo Hills is 390km from Maun. From Maun, proceed along the A3 to Sehithwa. From there take the A35 to Shakawe. The turn-off is on the left, 25km after Sepupa. From there it is another 40km on dirt road. A 4x4 is advisable in the wet season and will be needed year round to access all the other camps around the hills as the tracks are deep in sand. (4x4s and camping equipment can be hired in Maun.)

By air: Air Botswana flies daily to Maun from OR Tambo. Tsodilo Hills has a small airstrip. Planes can be chartered from Maun.

When to go

The wet season, December to March, is less popular but this means you almost have the place to yourself. The dry season is pleasant but nights are cold from June to August.

Where to stay

Camping is free at all campsites. There are no lodges in the area. Water, ablutions and showers can be found at the main campsite.

Guides generally ask 150 Pula (about R157) for a half-day trek. You can explore on your own but it is best to take a guidebook.

What to take:

Everything. It is advisable to stock up in Maun. There are two agriculture control points between Maun and Tsodilo Hills but you can buy meat in Shakawe, 32km north of the Tsodilo turn-off.