Nachikufu Cave

Nachikufu is a rock shelter in a granite outcrop near the Great North Road, painted in black with schematic animal and human figures and geometric designs, and excavation there produced a sequence of occupation running back some fifteen thousand years that gave its name to the Nachikufan industry in Central African prehistory. The paintings are under an overhang and reasonably protected. A caretaker lives at the site and unlocks the gate.

What you actually see

• The black paintings - schematic animals, figures and geometric designs under the overhang.
• The occupation sequence - excavated layers running back some fifteen thousand years.
• The type site status - the shelter that named the Nachikufan industry.
• The granite outcrop - the rock formation the shelter sits in.

When to go

May to October is dry with easy access. The rains make the track difficult. The caretaker's hours are informal.

Honest expectations

There is no interpretation on site beyond what the caretaker offers. Some paintings are faint and hard to make out. The site is small and an hour covers it.

Nearby

Mutinondo is south, and Shiwa Ngandu is north.