The history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africa

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dc.contributor.advisorSmith, Andrewen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorWebley, Lita Ethelen_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2016-03-15T11:49:20Z
dc.date.available2016-03-15T11:49:20Z
dc.date.issued1992en_ZA
dc.descriptionBibliography: pages 282-299.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractInvestigations in the archaeologically unexplored region of Namaqualand show that it was unoccupied for much of the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene. Marginally more favourable climatic conditions circa 2000 BP encouraged re-occupation of the region. It would appear that Khoe-speaking hunter-gatherers with livestock and pottery first entered Namaqualand along the Orange River before moving southward along the Atlantic coast. Both sheep and pottery are present at /Ai tomas in the Richtersveld and Spoeg River Cave on the coast, some 1900 years ago. This is strong evidence for a western route of Khoekhoen dispersal into southern Africa and invalidates one of the hypotheses proposed by Elphick in 1972. Domestic stock was initially only a minor addition to the economy and these early inhabitants of the region continued utilising wild plant foods and game, slaughtering their domestic stock only infrequently. It is proposed that hunter-gatherer society may undergo the structural changes necessary to become pastoralists and that there is evidence for this in the archaeological record from Namaqualand during the period 1900 to 1300 BP. The historical and ethnographic records relating to the Little Namaqua Khoekhoen indicates that gender conflict structured much of the lives of the historical population and it is postulated that the pre-colonial period was also characterised by changing gender relations. Central to this thesis is a consideration of the active role of material culture in negotiating relations between various interest groups within a society as well as structuring relations between 'ethnic' groups. Certain material culture items are identified which were used to negotiate and structure gender relations. The archaeological material from Namaqualand are therefore analysed in order to determine changing social relations through time. It is concluded that ethnic distinctions between pastoralist groups and hunter-gatherers in Namaqualand became more stressed with the arrival of the Dutch as a consequence of increasing competition for resources. The collapse of Namaqua Khoekhoen society was brought about as a result of trading excess stock for luxury items rather than in establishing stock associations. This thesis proposes that material culture from archaeological excavations be analysed for evidence of the structuring of within-group relations and that material cultural changes dating to within the last 2000 years should not automatically be ascribed to the presence of two 'ethnic' groups.en_ZA
dc.identifier.apacitationWebley, L. E. (1992). <i>The history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africa</i>. (Thesis). University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Archaeology. Retrieved from http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17817en_ZA
dc.identifier.chicagocitationWebley, Lita Ethel. <i>"The history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africa."</i> Thesis., University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Archaeology, 1992. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17817en_ZA
dc.identifier.citationWebley, L. 1992. The history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africa. University of Cape Town.en_ZA
dc.identifier.ris TY - Thesis / Dissertation AU - Webley, Lita Ethel AB - Investigations in the archaeologically unexplored region of Namaqualand show that it was unoccupied for much of the terminal Pleistocene and early Holocene. Marginally more favourable climatic conditions circa 2000 BP encouraged re-occupation of the region. It would appear that Khoe-speaking hunter-gatherers with livestock and pottery first entered Namaqualand along the Orange River before moving southward along the Atlantic coast. Both sheep and pottery are present at /Ai tomas in the Richtersveld and Spoeg River Cave on the coast, some 1900 years ago. This is strong evidence for a western route of Khoekhoen dispersal into southern Africa and invalidates one of the hypotheses proposed by Elphick in 1972. Domestic stock was initially only a minor addition to the economy and these early inhabitants of the region continued utilising wild plant foods and game, slaughtering their domestic stock only infrequently. It is proposed that hunter-gatherer society may undergo the structural changes necessary to become pastoralists and that there is evidence for this in the archaeological record from Namaqualand during the period 1900 to 1300 BP. The historical and ethnographic records relating to the Little Namaqua Khoekhoen indicates that gender conflict structured much of the lives of the historical population and it is postulated that the pre-colonial period was also characterised by changing gender relations. Central to this thesis is a consideration of the active role of material culture in negotiating relations between various interest groups within a society as well as structuring relations between 'ethnic' groups. Certain material culture items are identified which were used to negotiate and structure gender relations. The archaeological material from Namaqualand are therefore analysed in order to determine changing social relations through time. It is concluded that ethnic distinctions between pastoralist groups and hunter-gatherers in Namaqualand became more stressed with the arrival of the Dutch as a consequence of increasing competition for resources. The collapse of Namaqua Khoekhoen society was brought about as a result of trading excess stock for luxury items rather than in establishing stock associations. This thesis proposes that material culture from archaeological excavations be analysed for evidence of the structuring of within-group relations and that material cultural changes dating to within the last 2000 years should not automatically be ascribed to the presence of two 'ethnic' groups. DA - 1992 DB - OpenUCT DP - University of Cape Town LK - https://open.uct.ac.za PB - University of Cape Town PY - 1992 T1 - The history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africa TI - The history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africa UR - http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17817 ER - en_ZA
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11427/17817
dc.identifier.vancouvercitationWebley LE. The history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africa. [Thesis]. University of Cape Town ,Faculty of Science ,Department of Archaeology, 1992 [cited yyyy month dd]. Available from: http://hdl.handle.net/11427/17817en_ZA
dc.language.isoengen_ZA
dc.publisher.departmentDepartment of Archaeologyen_ZA
dc.publisher.facultyFaculty of Scienceen_ZA
dc.publisher.institutionUniversity of Cape Town
dc.subject.otherHerders - South Africa - Historyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherHunting and gathering societies - South Africa - Historyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherSan (African people) - Historyen_ZA
dc.subject.otherKhoikhoi (African people) - Historyen_ZA
dc.titleThe history and archaeology of pastoralist and hunter-gatherer settlement in the North-Western Cape, South Africaen_ZA
dc.typeDoctoral Thesis
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoral
dc.type.qualificationnamePhDen_ZA
uct.type.filetypeText
uct.type.filetypeImage
uct.type.publicationResearchen_ZA
uct.type.resourceThesisen_ZA
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