Bantu peoples

Bantu peoples
It is believed that Bantu peoples settled at the Soutpansberg mountains in Limpopo, 400 kilometres north of Johannesburg, around 350AD. These peoples originated from central Africa, eastern Nigeria and Cameroon in particular, and from about 1000BC they started migrating south to Angola and east to the Great Lakes, in a succession of migratory waves. Fragments of pottery have been found in the Soutpansberg, and similar pottery has been found in Tzaneen and Lydenburg, both south-east of the Soutpansberg. These people seem to have disappeared during a dry spell in 600AD but not before groups of people had moved further south, settling in KwaZulu-Natal around 500AD, and the Eastern Cape in 700AD. In a later wave of migration, Bantu peoples crossed the Limpopo again and settled just north of the Soutpansberg about 1 000 years ago. The Venda are these first black South Africans. They trace their ancestry back to the establishment of the first indigenous capital on two hills, Bambandyanalo and Mapungubwe, near a small town called Pontdrift, almost on the border of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, some 100 kilometres west of Messina in Limpopo. Bambandyanalo was where the early Shona kingdom settled and experienced its peak, and some 200 years later Mapungubwe was occupied. Sacred rituals developed, particularly related to divine rainmaking powers - precursors to Modjadji, the local rain queen, who traces her ancestry back to a 17th century princess of Zimbabwe. The Mapungubwe kingdom is directly related to the Shona of Zimbabwe, the Tswana of Botswana and the Venda, Tswana and Sotho in South Africa. These peoples probably moved down from East Africa, and moved further south when that region experienced drier conditions. They would have moved down with cattle and iron. The people of Mapungubwe became prosperous trading with Arab-Swahili traders in Sofala in Mozambique. They sold gold and ivory in return for Indian glass beads, cloth and Chinese porcelain. But around 1300AD both Mapungubwe and Bambandyanalo declined, and the settlements disappeared. Before this decline set in, groups of people started moving south and reached the Soutpansberg again in about 1300AD and spread further into the Magaliesberg, in about 1400AD. These settlements grew southwards to the Witwatersrand. These people were pastoralists and as pastures in the Magaliesberg were exploited, they moved into the grassland below the Melville Koppies. It is believed they noticed iron deposits in the rock outcrops on the Koppies, and built the iron furnace now excavated. The stone kraal walls just above the furnace were probably built at the same time. The evidence of dry stone walling at the Koppies suggests permanent settlements in the area. The same walling can be seen at the 600-hectare Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve , just south of the city. "We have found dozens of stone walls, millet seeds and cattle's teeth," says Mason. Aerial photographs of Klipriviersberg reveal 19 stone-walled Iron Age settlements dating from about 1500AD. A total of 90 sites have been identified in the broader area, suggesting a large, settled pastoral community. This means that the southern group were pastoralists and agriculturists, whereas the northern group exploited the iron deposits, and kept cattle. "It is likely that the northern and southern groups traded with one another and lived harmoniously," Mason adds. By 1800AD stone walling was widespread, and cow dung was used as fuel. These Tswana peoples lived on the koppies, building stone walls to surround their inner kraals and living areas, shaped like a sunflower. Cattle, their most important commodity, were housed in the inner circle, safe from predators. Each petal of the sunflower housed a different household, and between these enclosures were smaller enclosures housing smaller animals like calves, goats and chickens. The outer walls reached around 1.5 metres in height, but over the years those walls have crumbled. Excavations of sites reveal that these people grew sorghum, raised cattle, sheep and goats, and hunted wild animals. Two sites in Klipriviersberg large - 150 metres by 50 metres - and would have housed up to 100 people in a single settlement, made up of 10 households. These early settlements were vulnerable to changes in climate, and population size would have waned and revived over the years. The earlier settlements died out, and it was only in the 1700s that these groups re-established themselves in the Reserve.

It is believed that Bantu peoples settled at the Soutpansberg mountains in Limpopo, 400 kilometres north of Johannesburg, around 350AD. These peoples originated from central Africa, eastern Nigeria and Cameroon in particular, and from about 1000BC they started migrating south to Angola and east to the Great Lakes, in a succession of migratory waves.

Fragments of pottery have been found in the Soutpansberg, and similar pottery has been found in Tzaneen and Lydenburg, both south-east of the Soutpansberg. These people seem to have disappeared during a dry spell in 600AD but not before groups of people had moved further south, settling in KwaZulu-Natal around 500AD, and the Eastern Cape in 700AD.

In a later wave of migration, Bantu peoples crossed the Limpopo again and settled just north of the Soutpansberg about 1 000 years ago.

The Venda are these first black South Africans. They trace their ancestry back to the establishment of the first indigenous capital on two hills, Bambandyanalo and Mapungubwe, near a small town called Pontdrift, almost on the border of South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, some 100 kilometres west of Messina in Limpopo.

Bambandyanalo was where the early Shona kingdom settled and experienced its peak, and some 200 years later Mapungubwe was occupied. Sacred rituals developed, particularly related to divine rainmaking powers - precursors to Modjadji, the local rain queen, who traces her ancestry back to a 17th century princess of Zimbabwe.

The Mapungubwe kingdom is directly related to the Shona of Zimbabwe, the Tswana of Botswana and the Venda, Tswana and Sotho in South Africa. These peoples probably moved down from East Africa, and moved further south when that region experienced drier conditions. They would have moved down with cattle and iron.

The people of Mapungubwe became prosperous trading with Arab-Swahili traders in Sofala in Mozambique. They sold gold and ivory in return for Indian glass beads, cloth and Chinese porcelain.

But around 1300AD both Mapungubwe and Bambandyanalo declined, and the settlements disappeared.

Before this decline set in, groups of people started moving south and reached the Soutpansberg again in about 1300AD and spread further into the Magaliesberg, in about 1400AD. These settlements grew southwards to the Witwatersrand.

These people were pastoralists and as pastures in the Magaliesberg were exploited, they moved into the grassland below the Melville Koppies. It is believed they noticed iron deposits in the rock outcrops on the Koppies, and built the iron furnace now excavated. The stone kraal walls just above the furnace were probably built at the same time.

The evidence of dry stone walling at the Koppies suggests permanent settlements in the area. The same walling can be seen at the 600-hectare Klipriviersberg Nature Reserve , just south of the city. "We have found dozens of stone walls, millet seeds and cattle's teeth," says Mason.

Aerial photographs of Klipriviersberg reveal 19 stone-walled Iron Age settlements dating from about 1500AD. A total of 90 sites have been identified in the broader area, suggesting a large, settled pastoral community.

This means that the southern group were pastoralists and agriculturists, whereas the northern group exploited the iron deposits, and kept cattle. "It is likely that the northern and southern groups traded with one another and lived harmoniously," Mason adds.

By 1800AD stone walling was widespread, and cow dung was used as fuel. These Tswana peoples lived on the koppies, building stone walls to surround their inner kraals and living areas, shaped like a sunflower. Cattle, their most important commodity, were housed in the inner circle, safe from predators. Each petal of the sunflower housed a different household, and between these enclosures were smaller enclosures housing smaller animals like calves, goats and chickens.

The outer walls reached around 1.5 metres in height, but over the years those walls have crumbled.

Excavations of sites reveal that these people grew sorghum, raised cattle, sheep and goats, and hunted wild animals. Two sites in Klipriviersberg large - 150 metres by 50 metres - and would have housed up to 100 people in a single settlement, made up of 10 households.

These early settlements were vulnerable to changes in climate, and population size would have waned and revived over the years. The earlier settlements died out, and it was only in the 1700s that these groups re-established themselves in the Reserve.