Clay pots, crafted bones, jewelry and part of an arrow found at a historic site in the Kruger National Park.
PHOTO: Ntwaagae Seleka/News24
- Archaeologists discovered a settlementin the Letaba region of the Kruger National Park, and it is believed that its inhabitants were in the area between 1400 and 1600.
- The site has not yet been excavated and measures between 200 and 400 meters.
- Among aClay pots, beads, remains of clay houses and pieces of wooden spears were found.
“We save and watch history.”
These are the words used by archaeologist Dr. Xander Antonites when talking about a site he and his team from the University of Pretoria recently found in the Letaba region of the Kruger National Park.
The room, complete with old bones and artefacts including clay pots, precious stones and the remains of mud houses, measures between 200 and 400 meters and has yet to be excavated.
“Kruger National Park is not just about animals. We have to tell how they lived; how they hunted; how they traded with the world. Language is an intangible preserve. To know who they were, you have to know through their artifacts,” Antonites said.
He suspects the occupants, who are yet to be identified, were in the area between 2pm and 4pm and said they may have been trading horns and tusks of large animals.
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Archaeologists have found pieces of wooden spears, which are believed to have been poisoned to kill large animals for their horns and tusks.
According to the Antonites, the occupiers also traded beads, clay pots, and precious objects, especially from the eastern parts of the globe, such as glazed pottery and glass beads.
Some of these finds were late Persian, modern Iranian or early Islamic, he said.
“These unique ceramics have been found on the east coast of Mozambique and in Tanzania. There is more and more evidence of early trade. This place plays an important role in understanding how South Africa develops and becomes part of a wider story we can tell” .
Clay pots, crafted bones, jewelery and part of an arrow found at a historic site in the Kruger National Park (Ntwaagae Seleka, News24)
Clay pots, crafted bones, jewelery and part of an arrow found at a historic site in the Kruger National Park (Ntwaagae Seleka, News24)
News24
Clay pots, crafted bones, jewelery and part of an arrow found at a historic site in the Kruger National Park (Ntwaagae Seleka, News24)
News24
Clay pots, crafted bones, jewelery and part of an arrow found at a historic site in the Kruger National Park (Ntwaagae Seleka, News24)
News24
Clay pots, crafted bones, jewelery and part of an arrow found at a historic site in the Kruger National Park (Ntwaagae Seleka, News24)
News24
He added that sorghum and bean seeds were stored in clay pots, suggesting that the inhabitants were plant and animal breeders.
“The place was opened in the 80s by a professor from the University of Pretoria. The last 2,000 years have been associated with the arrival and migration of black farmers into the area.’
“Most modern southern African ethnic groups can trace their origins back to the last 500 years. It is where oral history and written records begin. The period with which we are now dealing is the Early Iron Age. This is where archeology comes to the fore. “
Antonites added that one of the most critical developments in South Africa’s history was South Africa’s integration into the larger global economy, particularly through the Indian Ocean network.
He said:
The Indian Ocean network connected India, the Arabian Peninsula and even China. Goods were exchanged, trade was going on. The Portuguese and Dutch later moved into this network due to trade prior to European colonization.
“The question is where does South Africa and South Africans begin to emerge and become part of this larger world system? Some of the artifacts we find predate Mapungwe by 400 years. We believe they are about 1200 to 1300 years old. — old artifacts.”
“They predate the history books and everything we know. We do not know what language they spoke, who they were or what they called themselves. [It was] the African black community that lived here,” Antonites said.
Antonites and his team of researchers are working with SANParks to find new discoveries.
He and his team will continue to dig in search of new artifacts to display in the Kruger National Park.
