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A preliminary study of the weathering activity at the rock art site of Game Pass Shelter (KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa) in relation to its conservation

Rock Art Research Institute, University of the Witwatersrand, Private Bag 3, P.O. Box Wits 2050, Johannesburg, South Africa, e-mail: stephane{at}rockart.wits.ac.za

Considerations on the environmental conditions, observation of the weathering pattern and comparison of archival documents allow a preliminary assessment of the weathering activity at the painted rock shelter of Game Pass (Kamberg Nature Reserve, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa). It shows that, although many moisture related processes were active in the past and have left marks on the rock wall, little new damage can be observed over the last 50 years on the Main Panel. There, the only damage of which the growth has been observed is a large flake on the image of an "eland". However, this flake might not be caused by natural weathering but be due to human agency. On the contrary, the Dying Eland Panel shows an active natural weathering, characterised by the patchy darkening of the white and red paints. It is suggested that the cause of this damage should be looked for in the nature of the pigments and the dampness of this panel.