Contact with Nguni and Sotho-Tswana farmers is depicted in the
San rock art. The artists started including representations of
cattle and sheep as well as of people with shields and spears,
in their paintings. Unfortunately, hunter-gatherers cannot live
permanently alongside a settled community and thus problems
arose. When the San fought against the BaNtu, they were at a
huge disadvantage not only in numbers but also in lack of
weapons. With the Europeans, they were at an even greater
disadvantage. The Europeans owned horses and firearms. In this
period, the number of San was greatly reduced. They fought to
the death and preferred death to capture where they would be
forced into slavery. Colonialism destroyed the San migratory way
of life, they were no longer allowed to roam freely and trophy
hunters destroyed the vast herds of game that formed their
principal supply of food. Both Black and White farmers built up
huge herds of cattle that destroyed the foods that had been the
San staple diet for centuries. En