Mozambique - Vumba Mountain Range

Along the mystic Vumba Mountain Range in Central Mozambique, a sacred Hill denominated Chinhamapere stands as one of the prominent features of the landscape. The site comprises the best-known hunter-gatherer rock art paintings (comprising several human figures, some holding bows and arrows and others in trance) tucked into a sacred forest and a set of living Shona rituals connected with rock art symbols and the landscape. Surrounding all the three hunter-gatherer rock art sites are fairly dense savannah woodland, which is a natural habitat for rare species of reptiles and flora. The woodland is seen as an integral part of the rock art sites: together they are perceived as the Chinhamapere sacred landscape, a scarce and valued resource used for traditional ceremonies.