The first proper archaeological excavation on the Garden Route in more than 50 years has begun on the Robberg peninsula, 8km south of Plettenberg Bay.
The work is being led by Judith Sealy, professor of archaeology at the University of Cape Town, and good progress has been made since it started in the third week of June. The dig is due to be concluded on Friday.
The excavation is being carried out at Hoffman's Cave, named after a zoologist from Bloemfontein who supervised the digging of a trench on the site during the 1950s. Hoffman's work is considered to be flawed because only certain portions of the excavated material were examined and recorded.
Sealy said the first objective of the current work in Hoffman's Cave, or Guano Gat, as it is sometimes called, was "to record the layers of the shell midden, about 1,5 metres deep, and to compile a comprehensive record of the archaeological sequence.
Also, "we hope to gain a better understanding of how the societies of the San people, who occupied the cave some 3 000 to 4 000 years ago, functioned with respect to the social, political and economic structures of their day-to-day life".
Another aspect of the current work is confirmation of the difference in the bone chemistry of the Stone Age people who lived on Robberg, compared with those who dwelt at the Matjies River cave in Keurboom Strand.
There are indications that the two communities had markedly different diets.
Inhabitants of Robberg seemed to have enjoyed food derived from seals, marine birds, marine predators and other animals at the top of the food chain.
Conversely, those at the Matjies River cave had a mixed marine diet.
Sealy said: "For two communities living within 14km of each other to have such different eating habits is surprising."
"Investigations on the sites at Robberg and Matjies River have revealed different artefacts and styles of shell ornaments, indicating cultural differences as well.
"More intriguing still is that, unlike the Khoe people of the interior, who were herders and hunter-gatherers and tended to be nomadic.
The San peoples of the coast led a settled life that would seem to predicate cultural homogeneity, rather than disparate life styles in neighbouring communities."
The excavation at Hoffman's Cave, in the Robberg Nature Reserve, is being carried out by a team of UCT staff and students.
The fieldwork is funded jointly by the National Research Foundation, the SA Archaeological Society and UCT.
Sealy said: "Some beautifully worked objects in marine shell have been unearthed.
"Archaeology is vital to piecing together an accurate account of the historical record of a country. A coherent written history of a nation and its peoples is part of building a national identity."
"People have lived longer in Africa than anywhere else in the world, and we should strive to have a proper record of the social and economic development of mankind on this continent. Archaeology is a huge tourism drawcard. Plettenberg Bay has great potential in this sphere."
Eastern Province Herald
Publisher: I-Net Bridge
Source: I-Net Bridge
