Archaeological mitigation efforts in advance of Lesotho’s Metolong Dam involved comprehensive documentation of rock paintings in the area threatened with inundation, as well as pigment characterisation and direct dating. This paper gives an overview of the rock arts found and their key features. Four traditions are present. Most paintings belong to the fine-line San tradition, but there are also examples of Type 3 images previously only recognised in South Africa’s Eastern Cape Province. Two other traditions are identified as being made by local Basotho communities. Contextual evidence suggests that they relate to male identity and, in the case of ochre smears and handprints, specifically to male initiation rituals. Some of the rock art sites identified are, in fact, used today by male and female initiation schools. The importance of comprehensively documenting rock art in other locations where it is at risk of being lost via development projects is stressed. Metolong sets a standard for rock art recording in cultural resource management work in the wider region.

中文翻译：

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Metolong 的岩石艺术：莱索托西部的绘画、考古和文化资源管理

莱索托 Metolong 大坝建设之前的考古缓解工作涉及对该地区面临洪水威胁的岩画进行全面记录，以及颜料特征和直接测年。本文概述了所发现的岩画及其主要特征。存在四个传统。大多数绘画属于细线桑传统，但也有以前只在南非东开普省认可的类型 3 图像的例子。另外两个传统被确定为由当地的巴索托社区制作。背景证据表明，它们与男性身份有关，并且在赭石涂片和手印的情况下，特别与男性入会仪式有关。事实上，一些确定的岩石艺术遗址今天被男性和女性启蒙学校使用。强调了在其他地方全面记录岩石艺术的重要性，这些地方可能会因开发项目而丢失。墨托隆在更大范围的文化资源管理工作中树立了岩画记录的标准。