Browsing by Author "Anderson, Mark Steven"

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    The historical archaeology of Marothodi : towards an understanding of space, identity and the organisation of production at an early 19th century Tlokwa capital in the Pilansberg region of South Africa
    (2009) Anderson, Mark Steven; Hall, Simon
    This thesis advocates the application of an interdisciplinary approach to the historical archaeology of Tswana towns of the late Moloko period in South Africa, and asserts the importance of examining such sites on a case by case basis against the defined backdrop of their unique historical, political and biophysical contexts. The early 19th century Tlokwa capital of Marothodi, in the Pilanesberg region of South Africa, forms the focus of a study through which the value of this approach is demonstrated. The historical, political and biophysical context of the site is explored, with an emphasis on Tlokwa oral traditions. Archaeological investigation reveals details of settlement organisation, while preliminary ceramic analysis contributes to an understanding of ancestral identity, indicating a possible affinity with early Fokeng lineages stemming from Northern Nguni origins. All of the above is relevant to one particular aspect of production. The organisation of both iron and copper production at Marothodi is explored and analysed against the wider contextual backdrop of the capital. The intensification of metallurgical output, and the adaptation of Tswana cultural codes to the unprecedented demands of living in an aggregated community, demonstrate the degree to which historical context could influence the organisation of production, and consequently the archaeological expression of the town. In summary, this research suggests a period of ascendant political status for the Tlokwa at this time in the history of the chiefdom; a conclusion that could only have been reached through a combination of historical, biophysical, ethnographic and archaeological data.