Project Supervisor
Dr Ceri Ashley University of Pretoria, South Africa
Dates
2013
Research Description
The Waterberg region in the Limpopo Province of South Africa is an area rich in cultural histories and archaeological sites. The Masebe Nature Reserve is situated in this region. This project research was conducted on the stone walls and potsherds recorded on the Iron Age hill settlement next to the Thabana ya Kgosi hill. Data was gathered through detailed sampling strategies to determine the spatial distribution and variation of the ceramics on the site. Historical sources and archaeological data indicated that the site was occupied multiple times. The Eiland ceramics found on the site marks the first occupation which dates to AD 1000-1300 and was followed by Undecorated and Moloko ceramics of Sotho-Tswana and Nguni people from AD 1350 - 1500. Ceramics from the Moor Park tradition indicated that the site was later occupied by the Northern Transvaal Langa Ndebele from around AD 1854. The identity of the occupants and the socio-historical context of the site was investigated through the material culture found at the site and the local oral histories in the region. This study contributed to the larger body of knowledge related to Iron Age settlement in the Waterberg region.
Project Articles
📄 📄 An archaeological investigation in the Masebe Nature Reserve, Limpopo Province (2014) — PDF
Images
