CCTV9英语新闻：12,000-year-old artform championed by modern artist

Among Zambia's cultural treasures is rock art dating back 12,000 years. But authorities are failing to protect it from vandalism, theft, illegal rock quarrying, and even graffiti. One local artist, though, inspired by the artform, is doing what he can to raise awareness and protect it. 

Zambia is well known for its wildlife and adventure sports, but for this artist, rocks are the country's cultural bedrock.

Aside from being aesthetically interesting, rock art serves as an insight into earlier civilisations.

 Zambian rock art

According to Zambia's Visual Arts Council, the earliest rock art dates from 10,000 BC and is ascribed to the Twa people. 

Sadly, a section of this rock has been removed by thieves, highlighting the precarious conservation status of the ancient artform.

Zenzele Chulu, who runs a painting studio, says he gets many of his ideas from the country's extensive rock art. 

"The original rock art that I saw actually had different layers. That gave me the idea that that was actually done at different stages of life. They would paint the first layer and then they would come again. So that also was embodied in my work, the way oil colours sometimes overlap. I blend the lines, the dots," said artist Zenzele Chulu. 

Chulu has exhibited across Africa, Europe, the Far East, and this time at Lusaka's Henry Tayali Art Centre. 

For Chulu, these exhibitions are an opportunity to voice his concerns about vandalism, illegal rock quarrying, and graffiti at rock-art sites. 

"It's been a very disheartening finding that the authorities at times tend to be very defensive when it comes to the protection of these sites. But when you physically go there, that's when you see the reality that actually much of these sites are in danger of disappearing." 

The number of rock art sites in Zambia is uncertain and many remain undiscovered. Mkoma, near Chipata, requires a local permit to access. Some of the rock art here is said to be "schematic anthropomorphic", meaning it resembles people. Now it is up to people to protect it.