Tsodilo, Botswana

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Rock paintings of Tsodilo, Botswana
Author: Joachim Huber (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

Tsodilo in Botswana is a site with probably the highest concentration of rock art in the world. It has over 4,500 rock paintings within an area of just 10 square kilometers of the Kalahari Desert. The rock art has been dated by archaeologists to being at least 100,000 years old. The subject matter provides a glimpse into the human activities and environment of that period. It is regarded by the locals as a sacred site visited by ancestral spirits. Tsodilo was inscribed as a World Heritage Site during the 25th session of the World Heritage Committee meeting in Helsinki, Finland, on 11-16 December 2001. It was the first site in Botswana to be inscribed on the World Heritage List. The Committee commended the inscription of Tsodilo for the immense symbolic and religious significance it has to the humans that continue to dwell in the harsh environment.

Until the discovery of Tsodilo, scientists did not know that humans have reached the level of sophistication to perform spiritual rituals. The earliest evidence of rituals dates back to 40,000 years ago in Europe. However, in Tsodilo, they discovered an enormous stone sculpture of a python dating back 70,000 years ago. This discovery provided scientists the evidence that humans from so long ago was able to create a sculpture of this sophistication.

Tsodilo comprises hills of which there are four main ones. The highest is 1400 meters tall, and is also the highest geographical point in Botswana. The hills are called Male, Female, Child, and another unnamed. Most of the rock paintings are located on the Female hill. The paintings include that of a "whale", two rhinos, and a lion.

Photos of Tsodilo

Rock paintings of Tsodilo, Botswana
Author: Joachim Huber (Creative Commons Attribution 2.0)

World Heritage Site Inscription Details

Location: S 18 45 0 E 21 43 60
Inscription Year: 2001
Type of Site: Cultural
Inscription Criteria: I, III, VI

Location Map

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Visiting Tsodilo

Tsodilo is located within the Okavango Delta. There is plenty to see here. In addition to Tsodilo, there is of course the Kalahari Desert and Lake Makgadikgadi.

Your base for visiting this World Heritage Site is Gaborone, the capital of Botswana. From there, you can make the arrangement, either on your own or through a travel agency, to go to the Okavango Delta, visiting Tsodilo and other sights. So far, the only budget hotel in Gaborone with online booking facility is Mokolodi Backpackers.

Getting there

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This website celebrating the World Heritage Sites is a hobby website that is not in any way connected to UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) and is not associated in any way with it. Any mention of UNESCO on this website is intended to describe the inscription and recognition of the World Heritage Sites by the institution, and does not in any way imply that UNESCO endorse the description and information provided.