Chongoni Rock-Art Area

Granite hills above Malawi's central plateau conceal 127 painted shelters — Chongoni, the densest gathering of rock art in Central Africa. BaTwa hunter-gatherers left red schematic designs from the late Stone Age, while Chewa farming communities added white clay paintings tied to initiation and rainmaking, a practice continuing well into the 20th century; many symbols remain meaningful in Chewa women's ceremonies today. UNESCO inscribed the Chongoni Rock-Art Area in 2006.