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

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Karl-Johan Lindholm
Karl-Johan Lindholm*
Affiliation:
*Division of Rural Development and Agroecology, Department of Urban and Rural Development, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Box 7012, 750 07, Uppsala, Sweden (Email: karl-johan.lindholm@sol.slu.se)
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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

NamibiaBotswanaKalahariwaterwellsherdingdesert
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 83 , Issue 319 , March 2009 , pp. 110 - 124
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd 2009

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