Kondoa Irangi: The place to visit ancient rock paintings

The rocks tell a story that dates back to the Stone Age, from the early hunters and gatherers and as they transitioned to pastoralist lifestyle.

Preserved by weathering, and protected from wind and dust by the trees surrounding the place, the rocks are full of drawings of elongated people, animals, and hunting scenes that are estimated to be between 150-400 paintings.

A true statement to the way of life that predates modern life as we know it. These days a tourist can choose which mode of transportation to use, and when the weather permits, you can easily access the site on a motorbike (BodaBoda) then you will have to take a short uphill hike that would take you to the highest point of the hill overlooking Dodoma. At this point, you can always take a brief rest and utilise that moment to breathe the fresh air that comes with the green vegetation that surrounds this hilly tourist attraction.

In most cases, the Kondoa Tourism office that you will have to pay a visit to will allocate you a tour guide, a young man or woman who knows the history of the rock arts.

The tour guides are usually locals and can speak good English and Kiswahili, and they welcome any kind of questions you might be curious to have answered, the tour guide can serve as a photographer as well if you ask so graciously.

Before getting to the rocks you will encounter warning posts on the trails, advising you against touching the art, this is due to their fragility as they are ancient and prone to damage when touched by hand, and it is advised not to use any liquid on them lest they fade. It is explicitly stated that doing your own painting as an addition to rock art is not recommended no matter how inspired or tempted you are.

Upon arriving at the site you will understand why they have such a huge artistic value, the rocks are a marvel to look at, and the red colours and texture feel like the painters froze time for this generation to witness how far our humankind has come from. Forbidden to restore or enhance, the rock paints are in their original authentic form as they were drawn thousands of years ago. This is a tourist site that is within the serenity of the vegetation that has played a role in hiding it against direct sunlight hence conserving it for so long.

The paintings, which are divided into different sites, show the changing traditions of those who lived there, from hunters and gatherers to pastoralists and agricultural communities, Mongani wa Kolo is the central point where ritual practices are conducted by Warangi and Wasi communities who are the current inhabitants.

They believe to have kept the tradition practised by their ancestors who drew the paintings in red colour, believed to be between 100-10,000 years old. The gigantic rocks hanging overhead are sheltered from direct sunlight and for a visitor, the paintings are in clear view and enduring all weather.

The paintings were made of animal blood, ostrich egg shells, and some roots and sap derived from fig trees that they would mix to make the ‘ink’ they would use to scribble tales of their life. It was in 1951 that the Kenyan-British palaeoanthropologist and archaeologist Louis Leakey alongside his wife Mary Leakey would find these painted rocks.

These rock paintings also reveal that humans have always used their brains to survive in their environment, the drawing shows men wearing masks and camouflage while they go hunting to hide from the animals they are about to attack. It also exhibits the presence of modern-day animals like giraffes and zebras.

It is believed the drawings were a way of manifesting what the hunters wanted, one would draw a hunting scene and the animals caught as a way to bring good luck in their coming hunt. They are also believed to have been drawn to make it rain when it was in drought season.

A few steps further uphill you will encounter another enormous rock with similar red paintings, one this site one of the painting depict the simbo dance, a celebratory dance performed by women for the men when they come back with meat from a successful hunt, upon seeing them the women start dancing and singing in joy. These days the local communities come to the site to pray for rain, good harvest, healing and practice their rituals, and uphold their beliefs.

The site also has drawings of the animals the hunters would encounter, from buffalos, and more giraffes as well as paintings of the community members as shown in the many human figures you would find on the rocks, it is believed they did much of the drawing after a meal as they taking a rest as a community together.

Over the years rain has washed away many parts of the paintings and if not contained in w few years the rock arts could possibly vanish.

The site is also under the threat of human encroachment, with cattle grazing, deforestation, and human settlement slowly creeping in and taking up space in the areas surrounding the rock paints.

A full excavation and survey of the whole rock art in Kondoa has not been done in its entirety and I bet there are more surprises that come with this crucial piece of human history.

It should be known that Tanzania is a vast country with so many ‘hidden’ tourist attractions that would open you to a new world beyond the Serengeti and Kilimanjaro which are worldwide renowned.

In most cases, these attractions are reachable by road and you can navigate your way in very affordable public buses, the bus rides are adventurous and humorous and worth the experience, Tanzanians you would meet are always ready to help and welcome strangers, both local and foreign.