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Chongoni Rock Art Area

Published May 21, 2026

Quick Facts

Key details at a glance

Site Name: Chongoni Rock Art Area
UNESCO reference number: 476
Property Area: 126 km²
Universal Value: Cultural tradition and continuity The site contains 127 rock‑art shelters within about 126 km², making it the richest concentration of rock art in Central Africa. The paintings record two main cultural traditions: Red paintings by BaTwa hunter‑gatherers (Late Stone Age). White‑clay paintings by Chewa farmers from the Iron Age to the 20th century. Link to living beliefs Many images are tied to Chewa women’s initiation (Chinamwali), rain‑making, and funerary rites, and the same symbols are still used today in Chewa Nyau secret‑society rituals, showing that the rock‑art tradition is not just ancient but actively connected to present‑day belief and practice. Because of this continuity, the site is not only an archaeological record but also a living cultural landscape, which is why UNESCO highlights its association with an intangible belief system and ongoing cultural identity. In short, the universal value of Chongoni Rock Art Area is that it preserves one of Africa’s deepest sequences of rock‑art traditions, spanning hunter‑gatherers and farmers, and maintains a direct, living link between those ancient paintings and modern Chewa spirituality and social life
Geography & Setting: The geography and setting of the Chongoni Rock Art Area is a forested highland zone of granite hills and rocky outcrops in central Malawi, chosen by ancient communities specifically for its sheltered rock shelters and dramatic landscape. Location and physical setting The site lies on the Malawi plateau in the Central Region, about 80 km southeast of Lilongwe, just northwest of the town of Dedza, which itself sits at around 1,600 m above sea level—making this one of the higher‑altitude parts of the country. It covers about 126.4 km² of forested granite hills and kopjes within the Chongoni Forest Reserve, running along the plateau edge roughly parallel to the M1 road near Dedza. Rock formations and landscape character The landscape is dominated by granite domes, cliffs, and overhanging rock shelters, many of which provided natural alcoves and caves where BaTwa foragers and Chewa farmers created their paintings. These rocky outcrops are densely forested on the slopes, which helps protect the art from direct sun and erosion while also giving the area its lush, secluded, highland feel rather than an open savannah or desert setting. Cultural and ecological context The forested hills sit at the junction of several ecological and cultural zones, historically linking highland Chewa farming communities with earlier hunter‑gatherer groups and later colonial and modern land‑use patterns. The setting supports moist‑montane forest and grassland patches, which sustain both local livelihoods (farming, small‑scale forestry) and the vegetation cover that helps shield the rock shelters from severe weathering
History & Story: Deep‑time and early people The area was first inhabited by BaTwa hunter‑gatherers during the Late Stone Age, who created red‑pigment paintings in the rock shelters, some of the earliest rock art in the region. Archaeological finds in the area, including artifacts up to about 2,500 years old, show that people were using these hills for shelter and ritual long before settled farming began. Arrival of Chewa farmers and rock‑art transformation From around the 1st millennium AD, Chewa agriculturalists moved into the region and began painting in white clay, creating a distinctive “farmer rock‑art” tradition that is uncommon in Africa. The Chewa often took over caves and shelters originally used by BaTwa people, using them not as homes but as ceremonial places for initiation, rain‑making, and funerary rituals, and decorated the walls with images linked to these practices. Empire, conflict, and hidden traditions In the 15th–17th centuries, the Maravi Chewa groups consolidated power in the area, forming the Maravi Empire, while later Ngoni migrations from the south brought conflict and displacement. Some Chewa‑rooted groups, including ancestors of today’s Nyau secret society, retreated into the forested hills and caves to preserve their rituals, helping to safeguard the rock‑art tradition even under pressure from Ngoni, missionaries, and colonial authorities. Modern discovery and World Heritage recognition The area was declared a Forest Reserve in 1924, and the first rock art was reported in the 1930s, with more systematic documentation from the 1950s onward. By the early 2000s researchers recognized that the 127 shelters contained Africa’s richest cluster of rock art, especially of farming communities still linked to living Chewa beliefs. In 2006, UNESCO inscribed Chongoni Rock Art Area as a World Heritage Site (reference 476), honouring it as a living cultural landscape where ancient paintings still speak to present‑day Chewa identity and ritual life.
Legal protection & management: Legal protection The rock‑art and archaeological sites are protected by the Malawi Monuments and Relics Act of 1990, which defines them as national heritage monuments and restricts damage, removal, or unauthorized development around them. The Chongoni Forest Reserve, within which all 127 rock‑art sites lie, is protected under the Forestry Act of 1997, giving the property a dual legal status as both a cultural World Heritage site and a forest reserve. Management framework A site‑specific management plan was prepared for Chongoni’s cultural resources, aligned with national heritage‑preservation policy, and it envisions a management office and interpretation centre to coordinate conservation and visits. Management is the responsibility of the Department of Antiquities (under the Ministry of Tourism / Culture), in collaboration with the Department of Forestry, but no permanent Department of Antiquities staff are yet stationed on the site; inspections are made only periodically from Lilongwe, about 80 km away. Community and practical management The plan calls for formal agreements with traditional leaders and local communities on how specific shelters can be used for Chewa rituals and ceremonies without harming the art, and for integrating forestry work with community initiatives in the reserve. Community‑based projects and guides are being trained to support guardianship, awareness‑raising, and responsible tourism, but the overall system still suffers from shortages of funds, trained staff, and robust on‑site monitoring, which limits how effectively the laws and the management plan are implemented on the ground.
Visitor experience: How you visit the site The area is about 80 km southeast of Lilongwe, near the town of Dedza; most visitors drive in via the M1 road and then follow rough tracks and paths into the Chongoni Forest Reserve, often with a local guide. There are no major visitor centres or reception offices on‑site; advice is usually obtained from Dedza Pottery or local guides, who lead hikers up steep, forested hills (often a 15–25‑minute uphill walk) to reach the main rock‑art shelters. What you see and feel Visitors see 127 identified rock‑art shelters, many of them natural granite caves and overhangs with red and white pigments showing symbols linked to women’s initiation (Chinamwali), rain‑making, and funerary rites, which are still culturally meaningful for Chewa people today. Some sites are still used for Chewa rituals, so the atmosphere is not just “archaeological” but also ceremonial and spiritual, giving the visit an intimate, respectful mood rather than a busy tourist spectacle. Overall experience character The experience is low‑key and adventurous: it involves off‑road travel, a bit of climbing, and walking through forest, so it suits cultural‑focused travelers and small guided groups more than mass tourism. At the same time, it is educational and emotionally powerful, especially for Malawian students and local visitors who recognize the symbols from Chewa culture; for them it often feels like moving from “myth” in class to real, tangible ancestral heritage.

Heritage significance

The heritage significance of the Chongoni Rock Art Area lies in its globally rare and dense collection of rock art, its deep connection to Chewa cultural and spiritual life, and its role as a living cultural landscape rather than just an archaeological monument.

Cultural and historical importance#

The site contains 126 km² of forested granite hills with 127 rock‑art shelters, making it the richest concentration of rock art in Central Africa.

The paintings come from two main groups:

Red pigments by BaTwa hunter‑gatherers (Late Stone Age).
White‑clay pigments by Chewa farmers from the Iron Age up to the 20th century.

Link to living traditions#

Many images depict women’s initiation (Chinamwali), rain‑making, and funerary rites, practices that are still carried out today in Chewa society, especially through the Nyau secret society.
This means the rock art is not a “dead” relic but part of a continuing belief system, which is why UNESCO highlights its outstanding cultural tradition and ongoing association with present‑day Chewa identity and spirituality.

Universal and national value#

As a UNESCO World Heritage Site inscribed in 2006, Chongoni is recognized for cultural criteria (iii) and (vi), meaning it uniquely represents a cohesive cultural tradition and its direct link to contemporary beliefs.
Nationally, it is a key symbol of Malawian precolonial history and Chewa cultural continuity, and it also supports local tourism and education, helping communities benefit economically while preserving their heritage.

In short, the heritage significance of Chongoni Rock Art Area is that it is a world‑class rock‑art landscape where ancient paintings still speak to living Chewa traditions, making it both an archaeological treasure and a living cultural heritage site.

Current Status

The Chongoni Rock Art Area is currently an officially protected UNESCO World Heritage Site (inscribed in 2006, reference 476), located in central Malawi within the Chongoni Forest Reserve about 80 km southeast of Lilongwe. The property covers about 126.4 km² and continues to boast 127 rock‑art sites with some of the richest rock‑art concentrations in Central Africa, with many paintings in relatively good condition thanks to forest cover and legal protection under the Monuments and Relics Act of 1990.

At the same time, the site faces ongoing threats such as vandalism, graffiti, land‑use pressure, encroachment, and limited infrastructure, plus emerging risks from climate‑related stress and tourism‑related wear. In response, Malawi’s Department of Museums and Monuments has been strengthening preservation through local “rock‑guard” programs, community education, and training of guides, while also trying to balance protection with controlled visitation and cultural‑heritage tourism.

In short, the current status is “protected but under pressure”: the rock art remains largely intact and actively managed as a living cultural landscape, yet it requires sustained investment, community engagement, and monitoring to keep its heritage values secure over the long term.

Challenges & conservation

The Chongoni Rock Art Area faces several pressures and threats, but there are also active conservation and management measures aimed at protecting its rock‑art heritage and its living cultural role.

Main challenges#

Physical damage and weathering

Some rock‑art panels suffer from natural weathering, water ingress, and biological growth (lichens, moss), especially where shelters are exposed or overgrown. In the past, many sites were thickly overgrown with shrubs, which made both conservation and visitation difficult.

Vandalism and graffiti

There are documented cases of modern graffiti and scratching on rock surfaces, which directly degrades the ancient paintings and can be hard to reverse.

Land‑use pressure and access issues

The 126 km² area is vast and scattered, with rock‑art sites spread across the Chongoni Forest Reserve, so monitoring and security are logistically challenging. There is potential pressure from agricultural encroachment, tree‑planting with exotic conifers, and local‑community activities around some shelters, especially when traditional‑use agreements are unclear.

Limited staffing and funding

The Chongoni site currently has no permanent full‑time staff from the Department of Antiquities stationed on‑site; inspections are made only periodically from Lilongwe, about 80 km away. This leads to weak enforcement of the management plan, less control over visitor access, and greater vulnerability to damage.

Key conservation efforts#

Legal protection and management framework

The rock‑art shelters and the surrounding Chongoni Forest Reserve are protected by law under the Monuments and Relics Act (1990) and the Forestry Act (1997), which together provide a legal basis for conservation and regulated use. A site‑specific management plan has been developed, with provisions for zoning, traditional‑use agreements, and visitor‑management rules.

Rock‑art and site management projects

Conservation projects have involved clearing vegetation from shelters, mapping and documenting the 127 sites, and stabilizing exposed panels where needed. There has also been work on building a management office and an interpretation centre to improve site‑based management and public education, though progress is constrained by funding and staffing gaps.

Community involvement and traditional‑use agreements

The management plan stresses the need to formally agree with traditional leaders and local communities on how specific shelters can be used for Chewa rituals, initiation ceremonies, and other cultural practices, while still protecting the art. Community‑based initiatives help raise awareness about the value of the rock art and link conservation to local identity and tourism income.

Education, tourism, and awareness

The site is used increasingly for heritage education and guided visits, helping visitors and local students understand the historical and spiritual meaning of the paintings. Responsible tourism is seen as a double‑edged tool: it can fund conservation but also risks wear and tear on the shelters if not carefully managed.