“Painted Stories” launched

On 18 July 2023, the book Painted Stories, written by Peter Breunig, in collaboration with Gabriele Franke, was officially launched.

Professor Dr Peter Breunig (emeritus), a renowned and highly regarded Africanist archaeologist was up until his retirement head of the Department of African Archaeology and Archaeobotany at the Goethe University’s Institute for Archaeological Sciences in Frankfurt/Main. Together with Dr Gabriele Franke, an Africanist archaeologist at the Goethe University and the Frobenius Institute in Frankfurt/Main, he spent many hours documenting, cataloguing and sorting through the material to finally complete this book.

Amongst the invited speakers for the evening, were Agnes Shiningayamwe from the National Heritage Council, Mr Martin Steppe, the then manager of the AiAiba lodge as well as Roger Fussel, co-owner of Big Sky Lodges.

The event was opened by Ruth, Moldzio, CEO of the Namibia Scientific Society, who in her welcoming remarks, noted that “this publication does not come a moment too soon, as rock art is often exposed to natural and human influences and the images fading”.

Agnes Shiningayamwe not only thanked Breunig for his outstanding work contributing to the technical conservation of the cultural heritage of rock painting in Namibia but also thanked Kuiseb Publishers for availing themselves to have this book published.

As the authors themselves could unfortunately not be present, Erika von Wietersheim, one of the editors, delivered the message of Prof. Breunig. In his speech, he described how it was originally planned to create a little brochure of the rock art (for the tourists visiting the area), but how upon closer inspection it soon became evident, that the well over 4,000 drawings in the AiAiba area would need to be documented in a book. He took this opportunity to also thank Martin Steppe, the previous manager of the AiAiba Lodge as well as Roger Fussell for their dedication towards finding and documenting the artwork as well as their hospitality over all the years.

In her closing remarks, Ruth Moldzio thanked all the people involved in creating this unique and so important book and handed them a complimentary copy of the book.

Glühwein and snacks, generously sponsored by Roger Fussell, rounded off a wonderful evening.

The book is now available in local bookstores or can be purchased at the Namibia Scientific Society directly.

For more information about the book, click here.