Archaeological antiquaries of the early Stone Age period found in the area provides links to the
Upper Pleistocene. Artifacts dated to 2,500 BP have also been found establishing a Late Stone Age habitation of the site by hunter gatherers who are credited with creation of some of this rock art. Iron Age settlements are traced from 1st millennium AD when a white rock art form, consisting of natural figures made with white clay, was depicted by the farmers. The farming community and the hunter gatherers worked in unison until the 19th century when the latter group were subsumed into the farming group. It was in the 15th century that the
Maravi Chewa group (after whom the country is named as Malawi) migrated from the northwestern region of
Lubaland, unified all the groups and established the
Maravi Empire. Then followed the
Ngoni people who fled from
South Africa and settled in the southern region of the Chongoni area. This resulted in the local Nyau people, who were opposed to the Ngoni, move to hiding places. It is this Nyau community, in spite of opposition from the Ngoni, the missionaries and the colonial administration of the country, who have ensured preservation of their culture. After the area was declared a Forest Reserve in 1924 and boundaries of villages demarcated, the first rock art finding was reported in the 1930s, and later in 1950s details of a few sites were published. Five rock art sites out of the total 127 sites were then declared in 1969 as protected national monuments. They were also opened to viewing by the public. ==Features==