Case file · Sacred site
The Kondoa rock shelters
In the hills of Kondoa, central Tanzania, rock shelters painted over thousands of years are still used by local communities for rain-making and healing rites; UNESCO listed them in 2006.
2006 CE · -4.72, 35.83 · status: official
The account
The paintings include elongated human figures, animals and scenes some people read as ceremonies. Rangi and Sandawe communities make offerings at some shelters, a continuity that UNESCO named as part of their value.
The sceptical view
The art is real; the 'ancient astronaut' readings of some figures found online have no scholarly support.