These enigmatic images are all that remain of the San:  the last of South-Africa's hunter-gatherers fell before the guns of white colonists or were pressed into service on their farms during the second half of the 19th century. One of the few visual records left by these early inhabitants are their paintings. Regrettably these too are under threat from natural weathering and desecration by people. Ten to twenty percent of these sites have already been vandalized.

Stephen Townley Bassett has developed equipment and methods for the safe removal of graffiti from sites containing rock paintings. He has restored more than 10 sites during the past 6 years, working closely with the South African Heritage Resource Agency.