Architecture The typical Batswana village is generally made up of circular huts with pointed roof. Some of them are built with circular bricks of clay, which is taken from termites' nests; then, everything is cemented through a mixture of clay and cow's dung. Where no termites' nests are provided, houses are made of interwoven branches cemented through dung or mud.
The beams supporting the thatched lining are made from very solid trees and are joint together with pliable twigs, on which people then tie the reeds to create the lining. After that, they soak the thatch with a layer of oil and ash in order to keep termites off their home. A well-made roof can shelter people from bad weather for 5-15 years, while the whole structure may sometimes last over 30 years.
Women often paint the outside walls using a mixture of cow's dung and earth in different colours, which they spread with their hands to make creative and fanciful drawings.
A very interesting village built according to the traditional architectural style is Mochudi, near the city of Gaborone.
Painting Pre-historic rock paintings, like the ones you can see on the Tsodilo Hills in north-western Botswana, are considered to be a valuable historical find regarding the ancient history and culture of the country. Thousands of years ago the San people used to depict their relationship to nature on rocks: a lot of paintings show geometrical patterns, hunting scenes and everyday life. However, local animals are the main subjects, particularly eland: some ethnological studies suggest this animal could have been sacred to the San culture, as it meant water, health and wellbeing. This form of art is slowly disappearing in Botswana nowadays and no new art style has originated up to now, unlike what has happened in other Sub-Saharan countries.
The workroom of the Maun Museum and the Kuru Art Project in D'kar (near Edo's Camp) are however slowly encouraging the locals to paint according to both the traditional style and modern, innovative techniques.
Dance Bushmen traditionally dance in order to thank their gods for a good hunt and abundant rainfalls, to cure illnesses and injuries and to celebrate the young women's entrance into adulthood after their first menstrual cycle. Dancers usually wear beaded jewellery and traditional costumes of skins. Moreover, they stress their rhythmical movements by shaking decorated wooden sticks, fly-flaps made of blue wildebeest's tails and rattles consisting of small stones, seeds and ostrich eggshells on leather straps tightened on their legs.
One of the most interesting dances is probably the ndazula, which the locals often perform to thank their gods for abundant harvesting or rains.
Music Without doubt the most interesting traditional music is the one played by Bushmen using an ingenious instrument called mbira, also known as "thumb piano": it is a tiny musical instrument with 7/8 metal keys which people play with both their thumbs. It is so small that the San often carry it with them to cheer up during their hunting and gathering walks.
Another typical San musical instrument is the so-called "mouth bow": this instrument has only one string, which the locals play by using a very thin blade of grass. They manage to play different notes and tones by leaning the upper part of the bow against their mouth and moving their lips and tongue lightly.
Handicraft
In Botswana you can find some of the most fabulous and refined handicrafts of southern Africa. Batswana artists were originally common people able to imprint creativity, beauty and tradition on everyday objects. Later on, European colonizers introduced a different art style, which was partly adapted to and integrated with the local tradition, giving birth to unique, fabulous tapestries and fabrics.
Tourists visiting the rural areas of the country can buy these handicrafts directly from the craftsmen who have produced them; alternatively, they can either pay a visit to one of the several textile and handicrafts cooperatives throughout the country or buy these articles in the gift shops in the main towns.
Pottery The first ceramics used in Botswana were made of clay moulded into a smooth spiral; then, they were fired on a slow temperature so that they remained permeable. This method caused evaporation through the pot and represented a sort of "ante litteram" cooling system which could keep the liquids inside the pot cold and drinkable even in the hottest days.
Today's production ? showing increasing signs of recovery as the tourist market grows ? is a perfect mix of modern look and traditional decorative motifs.
Basketry Baskets are one of the most sought-after handicrafts of Botswana because of their unique workmanship. They are mainly produced by the Bayei and Bambukushu women from Angola, who have moved to the Ngamiland District, in north-western Botswana.
Although baskets still serve to store seeds, cereals, flour, herbs or beer, craftsmanship has become very refined in time and some baskets are richly decorated with elaborate, fanciful motifs. Baskets are made from the fibrous leaves of the mokolane palm: first of all, they are cut and then boiled with natural dyes. Dark brown is obtained from the roots of motsentsila, and people also use blood, lay, cow's dung and ochre to dye the leaves. After preparing a spiral coil from grass or creepers, weavers use a special tool called lemao (a thick, sharpened piece of wire set in a wooden handle) to insert and wrap the strips of mokolane according to the pattern and form chosen.
It can take up to three weeks to produce a basket of medium size, depending upon its level of elaboration. Decorative motifs are usually representations of animals and of nature, in addition to symbolic patterns.
Jewller's craft and hide articles of San The San people living in western Botswana are extremely skilled at producing necklaces, belts and bangles with beads and with the seeds, the small stones and the pieces of ostrich eggshells which they collect during their hunting-gathering walks. Hatched ostrich eggshells are broken into small pieces by using hands or stones and the "beads" so obtained are pierced in the middle. Afterwards, they are threaded onto a string made of sinew and smoothed by using a springbok horn and a stone till they become perfectly polished and round. In addition to jewellery, eggshell "beads" are also used for decorating bags and traditional clothing, where the beadwork is sewn with thread made of animal sinew.
Thanks to their hunting and skin-tanning ability, the Bushmen produce fabulous leather articles, like sandals, bags, mats, aprons and traditional clothes; they generally use goat, buffalo and ostrich skins.
Tourists can find an interesting, detailed brochure about the history and creation of jewellery and leather articles by the San at the Gantsi Crafts in Ghanzi.
Weaving Today's textile industry produces tapestries, carpets, bedcovers, tablecloths, jackets, coats, pillowcases and scarves using karakul wool. Fabrics are decorated with typically African embroideries and decorative motifs, like animals and geometrical patterns. Some even depict tales, historical events or topical issues.
Fabrics are entirely handmade. While singing traditional songs, weavers, mostly women, dye the wool in big pots over a fire in the open air and make it mothproofed. Then they spin and weave the wool using wooden looms.
