‘Oldest known drawing’ found in South Africa

Published

5 years ago

September 13, 2018

Scientists say they have discovered humanity’s oldest known drawing on a small fragment of rock in South Africa.

The drawing is about 73,000 years old, and shows cross-hatch lines sketched onto stone with red ochre pigment.

Scientists discovered the small fragment of the drawing – which some say looks a bit like a hashtag – in Blombos Cave on the southern coast.

The find is “a prime indicator of modern cognition” in our species, the report says.

While scientists have found older engravings around the world, research published on Wednesday in the journal Nature says the lines on this stone mark the first abstract drawing.

The article says the ancient artist used an “ochre crayon” to etch it onto the stone.

Humanity has used ochre, a clay earth pigment, for at least 285,000 years.

The drawing was “probably more complex” in its entirety, archaeologist Christopher Henshilwood told Reuters.

“The abrupt termination of all lines on the fragment edges indicates that the pattern originally extended over a larger surface,” he said.

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Koffi Olomide’s Kenyan show suffers setback over 2016 debt

Published

2 days ago

December 9, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

A highly anticipated concert that was to feature Congolese Lingala maestro Le Grand Mopao, Koffi Olomide, in Nairobi, Kenya on Saturday has been thrown into disarray after Kenyan show promoters, Jules Nsana and Noah Auma Muga of Nsana Production, demanded to be paid compensation for a 2016 show that ended in chaos and refund of debt of $65,000 they had allegedly incurred.

In the letter of demand through their lawyer, Thiong’o Gachaga of Githumbi & Achoki Advocates firm, Nsana Production say they are seeking a refund of $50,032 and an additional Sh1,410,000, along with interest at the current rate from the date of the performance to full payment, citing a breach of contract by the 67-year-old rumba star for a March 2016 concert.

The letter stated that the 2016 show ended in chaos when Olomide was deported from Kenya for allegedly assaulting one of his female dancers after footage of the assault at Nairobi’s international airport was posted online, sparking outrage on social media.

But Olomide has assured his fans that the peace concert will go on despite threats from the show promoters.

Olomide, who spoke through his lawyers, termed the debt allegations as frivolous and without merit.

Culture

Ghanaian actor Don Little arrested for knocking down motorcyclist

Published

3 days ago

December 8, 2023

Akanimoh Etim

Dimunitive Ghanaian actor, Stephen Atangah, popularly known as Don Little, was reportedly arrested by the police in Accra on Friday after he allegedly knocked down a motorcyclist.

Media reports in the West African country said the actor knocked down the rider with his car while driving in the Kasoa Area A, with videos showing him protesting against his incarceration while in police custody.

According to a report by an online platform, the actor was transporting a friend to the hospital when the incident happened.

“According to Don Little his friend called him that one of their friends wanted to take his life so he should intervene,” the platform said.

“On the way to the hospital, he met some motor riders so he blew the horn for them to give him way but they refused.

“In a bid to manoeuvre, he knocked down one of the motor riders with his mirror.

“Unfortunately, there was an officer at the scene. The officer claimed that Don Little slapped him twice but the actor denied the claims. He was taken to the Kasoa police station”, it added.

The video also showed Don Little behind bars at the police station and interacting with some of the officers.

“He was lamenting why he had been arrested and the person he was involved in an accident had been left to go home,” the online platform narrated further.

“Some of the police officers were also heard wondering why a person with the stature of Don Little would be allowed to drive in Ghana.”