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Conclusions Rock art is often seen as a remnant of the past, fossilised and unchanged except for damage caused by the elements and destructive human intervention. The creators of the rock art have long disappeared, and their story remains untold. They left pictures without captions. The rock shelter Kondi Pegue at Songo is one of the few sites on the African continent where rock art is still made and used in a ceremonial context, and where some direct information can be gained as to the significance attributed to the motifs and their function(s). Rock art is created and used in the context of a circumcision ritual, although it is not known how long this particular tradition has existed at Songo. The connection of rock art and circumcision does not seem to be typical among the Dogon. Kondi Pegue is the only place known in the Bandiagara region (and in sub-Saharan Mali) where rock art is made and/or modified as part of a circumcision ritual. The photographic documentation of the paintings at Kondi Pegue over the past century or so illustrates a side of rock art that cannot normally be observed: development and change. These changes include: the addition of paintings on the rock wall, the modification of motifs over time, the interpretation and re-interpretation of rock art, as well as changes in architectural features at the rock art site. The study of change at Kondi Pegue provides an unusual glimpse of the temporality of rock art. There are "times of the signs" - rock art is made and interpreted at a particular time and in a particular context only. The paintings are said to be of importance to the village at particular moments, such as during the circumcision ritual, but otherwise seem to have little social impact other than as a tourist attraction. The motifs themselves reflect temporality, they are 'signs of the times'. Their forms are partially preserved, and partially altered over time. Some motifs are left to fade, while others are added. New motifs may differ drastically in style from established ones, reflecting an inherent dynamism in Dogon visual expression and in Dogon society more generally. This dynamism is also apparent in differences in the interpretations of motifs over time and in the interpretations given by different individuals at any particular moment, although this may also depend on the informant's knowledge. The paintings are incorporated into narratives, such as in explanations of village traditions to children or tourists. Yet, the paintings also influence the narrative. Motifs may be included, excluded or re-interpreted in explanations, causing changes in what is told. Consequently, the 'living' and ever-changing rock art site Kondi Pegue provides a rare and possibly even unique example for the dynamism inherent in the making and use of rock art on the African continent. | |
