North Drakensberg Mountains

The northern Drakensberg rises in sheer basalt cliffs above deep valleys and grass-covered slopes. At the Amphitheatre, the Tugela River plunges from the high escarpment in a series of falls. Rock shelters throughout the mountains hold paintings made by San artists, depicting people and animals as well as scenes connected with belief and ritual. The painting tradition continued into the nineteenth century, leaving a record of long human presence among the cliffs and highlands.