It’s Not Gelling: Conservation Mitigation at Bonne Esperance 016 Rock Art Site, Makgabeng, South Africa

ABSTRACT South Africa is richly endowed with rock art but interest in its conservation has not been given much priority. The country has been slow in developing adequate and effective conservation protocols due to lack of research interest in conservation. There are three main challenges that affect the conservation of rock art: 1) absence of coherent monitoring systems for conservation interventions; 2) lack of local expertise in rock art conservation; and 3) limited financial resources for conservation leading to an over-reliance on donor funding. In this paper we draw from the ‘Four Rock Art Sites Conservation Project’ a Rock Art Research Institute initiative funded through the US Ambassadors fund for Cultural Preservation, and outline how these challenges have plagued conservation practice in South Africa. We highlight the positive outcomes of the project and propose recommendations’ for conservation management in South Africa.