Telling impressions: Breuil's 1929 visit to rock art and Stone Age sites near Kimberley, South Africa

摘要

Stone Age and rock art sites that Breuil would visit near Kimberley, South Africa, during and after the 1929 conference of the British and South African Associations for the Advancement of Science, were amongst the first he would see in Africa. Breuil's published observations and an autobiographical account afford a keyhole view on his initial thoughts with hints of ways these would develop, alongside and in relation to the perspectives of contemporaries. The roles of Breuil's field and editorial helpers are highlighted for the insights they provide on his modus operandi. Pratt's concept of 'discursive polyphony' is advanced as a useful frame for understanding the range of shifting perspectives that are entangled in these histories. Opportunities are sought, in discussion, to reflect on the Breuil legacy in light of subsequent work in the region.