A new approach to the archaeology of livestock herding in the Kalahari, Southern Africa

Abstract

The author notes that livestock herding in the Kalahari Desert would require water during the dry season. By mapping and dating artificially dug or enlarged waterholes, he shows when and where such herding would have been possible. Dating is by radiocarbon, artefact scatters and cartography. Comparison with climatic, documentary and oral evidence shows that the use of the artificial wells correlates with what is known so far about the movement of peoples over the last two millennia. This inspires confidence in the connection between the wells and herding and in the survey methods.

Keywords

Namibia; Botswana; Kalahari; water; wells; herding; desert

Published in

Antiquity
2009, Volume: 83, number: 319, pages: 110-124

SLU Authors

• Lindholm, Karl-Johan

  • Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

UKÄ Subject classification

Fish and Aquacultural Science
Economics and Business
Social Sciences


Publication identifier

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00098124

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/24678