21 Dromedarisstreet, Dan Pienaar, Bloemfontein 9301 Suite 158, Private Bag X01, Brandhof, 9324 Tel: +27(0)51-4444700 Fax: 0866973660 E-mail: [email protected] .za

Ref. nr.: E1 212/3/2-E1 /10-0224/07 14- 07-2009

Heritage Private Bag X9067 Cape Town 8001

Attention : Nicolas Wiltshire

Your Ref: HM/OVERBERG/CAPE AGOLHASIVIERFONTEIN 143/PORTION 4

PROPOSED DAM ON PORTION 4 OF VIERFONTEIN 143, NAPIER, CAPE AGULHAS, OVERBERG

Please refer to your letter dated 3 March 2009 requesting the following reports by L Rossouw for your assessment and comment as part of the EIA process with ref no. E12/2/3/2-E1/1 0-0224/07.

1. A desktop Paleontological study 2. An Archaeological Impact Assessment

Please send us your comment and do not hesitate to contact me or Hanri van Jaarsveld at (051) 444 4700 should you require more information regarding this.

Ki nd regards

Gys Hoon (Pri. Sci. NaQ DESKTOP PALAEONTOLOGICAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF A PROPOSED DAM WALL ON THE KLlPDRIFT RIVER NEAR NAPIER, WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE.

L. Rossouw PO Box 28806 Langenhovenpark 9330 E-mail: [email protected] INTRODUCTION A desktop palaeontological impact assessment was conducted for a proposed dam wall near Napier. The assessment was carried out in accordance with National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999 with the aim to assess impact on potential palaeontological heritage resources.

DESCRIPTION OF THE AFFECTED AREA 1::50 000 topographical map of the area: 3419 DB-DO Elim

Site Coordinates: S34 30' 31.34" E19 53' 35.53"

The site is located in rugged terrain on the Klipdrift River in the Vlermuiskelderkloof about 3.5 km south of Napier (Fig. 1). The area is made up of low mountains and undulating hills covered by moderately tall, dense restoid, ericoid and proteoid shrubland.

PALAEONTOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE The palaeontological footprint in the region is mainly associated with:

I;J Cenozoic deposits along the coast or inland surficial deposits found along large intermontane valleys and the main courses of the and Breede Rivers (generally recorded as specific palaeontological localities). I;J Exposures of Table Mountain Group sandstones and overlying Bokkeveld Group shales (Cape Supergroup). Since known fossiliferous geological horizons are used as indicators of fossil distribution in capped sediments, the potential fossil heritage mentioned in this report is related to specific sedimentary units, and not specific palaeontological sites.

CENOZOIC SEDIMENTS

Old superficial deposits in the region are primarily assigned to the calcareous sediments of the Group. These sediments are closely linked to past marine transgressions and regressions and are known to be fossiliferous (Table 1). Fossil localities are generally confined to the coastal region where caves, unconsolidated or wind-blown sands, fixed dunes and semi­ consolidated aeolian sands with calcrete lenses, occasionally yield mammal vertebrate fossils, marine or terrestrial molluscs and other remains (sometimes along with cultural remains in Pleistocene and Holocene deposits). The onset of colder environmental conditions during previous glacial episodes in the Pleistocene is considered to have resulted in the creation of a unique habitat for a number of ungulate fauna along the southwestern Cape coastline. Eustatic sea level lowering during the Last Glacial in the Late Pleistocene would have exposed up to 22500 square kilometers of the Aghulas Bank, forming large areas of relatively fertile, low­ lying land and so forming a unique coastal plain environment. This had a dramatic effect on the distribution and density of the Cape coastal fauna. Compared to the coastal fynbos and evergreen forest mosaic of the present, faunal evidence from several fossil localities along the southwestern Cape coast suggest that conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum provided a habitat for grazing mammals that preferred grassland and open country vegetation. There is currently no record of Cenozoic palaeontological exposures or localities within the vicinity of the dam wall, where surficial sediments along the Klipdrift River consist of minimally developed, acidic lithosols, derived from Table Mountain Group sandstones.

CAPE SUPERGROUP SEDIMENTS The geology immediately north and south of Napier comprises dark-grey fossiliferous shales and mudstones of the early Devonian Gydo Formation (Bokkeveld Group). This is successively replaced in the study area by older marine sediments of the Nardouw Subgroup (Table Mountain Group). The strata are assigned to fluvial, braid-plain and shallow marine Silurian sandstones and thinly layered siltstones characterized by sparse trace assemblages and shelly fossils (brachiopods) (Table 1) .

CONCLUDING REMARKS AND RECOMMENDATIONS • Late Cenozoic surficial deposits along the Klipdrift River are derived from Table Mountain Group sandstones and consist largely of acidic

3 soils . The soils are weakly developed and not conducive to the preservation of bone, shell or other kinds of organic material. Accumulation and preservation of intact fossil material within unconsolidated, superficial sediments are highly unlikely. • The underlying geology is made up of late Silurian I early Devonian sandstones of the Nardouw Subgroup (Table Mountain Group). The strata contain trace assemblages and occasional shelly fossils , are considered to be of medium to low palaeontological significance, and may be affected by excavations into bedrock. In case of the latter, the developer must inform Heritage Western Cape accordingly. REFERENCES Anderson , M.E. , et a/. 1999. Devonian (Emsian-Eifelian) fish from the Lower Bokkeveld Group (Ceres Subgroup), . Journal of African Earth Sciences 29 (1) , 179-194. Johnson, M.R. et. a/. (eds). 2006. The Geology of South Africa. Geological Society of South Africa, Pretoria. Gresse, P.G. & Theron, J.N. 1992. The geology of the Worcester area. Explanation to sheet 3319 (1 : 250000). Geological Survey, Pretoria. Partridge, T.C . & Maud , R.R. 2000. The Cenozoic of Southern Africa. Oxford Monographs on Geology and Geophysics No. 40. Rossouw, L. 2001 . The taxonomic status and palaeoecology of the fossil springbok, Antidorcas australis, as reflected by its postcranial osteomorphology. Unpublished MSc.thesis. University ofthe Witwatersrand.

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Figure 1. 1 : 50 000 topographical map showing the location of the proposed dam wall in the Vlermuiskelderkloof (Klipdrift River)

5 Table 1, Potential fossil heritage at the dam wall locality,

Palaeontological Geological Unit ' Rock/Sediment Type Age Fossil Herit~g ~ Significance __ - 1 ------..- -- ~ Geologically young. i Minimally developed, 0 unconsolidated . 'd' rth I d ' d Late '" rf d 't aCI IC I OSO s. erlve 't su ace epasl S I . Cenozoic to None I None ::I'" ( . d ' from Table Mountain

Ol Phase 1 Archaeological Impact Assessment of a proposed dam wall near Napier, Western Cape Province.

L. Rossouw PO Box 38806 Langenhovenpark 9330 Executive Summary

I;J A Phase 1 Archaeological Impact Assessment was carried out in an area demarcated for the construction of a 50m long x 15m high dam wall in rugged terrain on the Vlermuiskelderkloof River about 3.5 km south of the town of Napier.

I;J The area is made up of low mountains and undulating hills covered by moderately tall, dense restoid , ericoid and proteoid shrubland.

I;J The substrate is comprised of acidic lithosol soils derived from Table Mountain Group sandstones

I;J There is no evidence of building structures or material of cultural significance, places which are associated with living heritage, or archaeological sites within the demarcated area including the access roads.

I;J No burial sites or marked graves were located in the survey area.

I;J The site is of low archaeological significance. Table of Contents

Introduction 4

Archaeological background of the region 4

Description of the Affected Area 6

Results of Survey 7

Statement of Significance 8

Field Rating and Recommendations 8

References 9

Figures and Captions 10

3 Introduction A Phase 1 Archaeological Impact Assessment was carried out in an area demarcated for the construction of a dam wall across the Vlermuiskelderkloof River on Portion 4 of the farm Vierfontein 143, south of Napier (Fig. 1). The footprint covers a 4,5ha area that include a 350m segment of riverbed with overbank deposits, and a 50m wide by 120m long section (preliminary design specification), demarcated for the construction of a dam wall. The survey is required as a prerequisite for new development in terms of the National Environmental Management Act and is also called for in terms of the National Heritage Resources Act 25 of 1999. The site visit and assessment took place in April 2009.

Terms of reference Qldentify and map possible archaeological heritage resources in the proposed area of impact; QDetermine and assess the potential impacts of the proposed development on archaeological heritage resources in the proposed areas of impact, and QRecommend mitigation measures to minimize impacts associated with the proposed development.

Archaeological background of the region

People have been living in South Africa for close on 2 million years and the mountains and nearby coastal areas of the Overberg region represent a significant archaeological footprint that can be seen in the occurrence of cave deposits and rock shelters containing stone tools, faunal remains or other cultural remains. Open or capped coastal dune sites and secondary (alluvial) assemblages also provide important evidence of prehistoric human behaviour. The range of stone tool industries encountered in the region is extensive in terms of both typology and chronology. This include Early Stone Age Acheulean bifaces and cores; prepared core I flake-blade technologies of the Middle Stone Age, and microlithic industries of the Later Stone Age. Early Stone Age. Isolated Acheulean handaxes and cleavers, flakes, cores, and associated waste have been discovered at Cape Hangklip, while Acheulean assemblages have been found in primary or near-primary context at Montagu Cave (Fig . 2) . Handaxes and cleavers, with or without associated artefacts, have also been found in secondary (geological) context at several localities, between Napier and Riversdale and in terraces along the Breede River Valley. Later Acheulean people also produced a relatively wide range of flake tools that closely anticipate those of their MSA successors Site locations suggest that Acheulean groups were closely tied to water sources. Except for their highly recognizable stone tools, Acheulean hominids left no compelling evidence for structures.

Middle Stone Age. The Middle Stone Age (MSA), following immediately upon the Acheulean, includes a variety of industries which have in common a high proportion of flakes and/or blades produced with considerable care from prepared cores. Handaxes are completely absent. Retouched pieces are not abundant, especially in assemblages where quartzite was the primary raw material. The most common retouched tools are sidescrapers of various kinds, but endscrapers, burins and backed elements are also known in some Middle Stone Age assemblages. In addition to numerous reported discoveries of Middle Stone Age artefacts on the surface, MSA assemblages have been documented in situ at Montagu Cave , directly overlying Acheulean deposits. Intact MSA assemblages have also been recorded at Die Kelders Cave I, near (Fig. 2).

Later Stone Age. Numerous Late Holocene dune midden sites, occupation layers and human burial sites have been found along the coastline between Cape Hangklip and the mouth of the Breede River (Fig . 2) . A number of cave and coastal dune sites contain some of the best evidence we have for the lifestyle of nomadic Khoikhoi pastoralists who moved into South Africa about two thousand years ago, including. Historical Khoikhoi settlement patterns on the coastal plain show that it was concentrated in a narrow strip between the Cape Fold Belt Mountains and the coast where rainfall is higher, soils are more fertile and perennial rivers more common. Sources describe Khoikhoi kraals as large open-air encampments most commonly located along inland

5 river valleys. The Khoikhoi used their cattle mainly for milk and for transport, and relied more on sheep as a resource of meat. Hunting, gathering and fishing was also an integral component of their subsistence. Marine resources like shellfish and seals were exploited by groups living near the coast. Tools were made out of wood, stone and bone and a distinctive style of pottery was produced. Widespread artifact scatters found on agricultural land near the Breede and Buffeljags River confluence and areas within the Bontebok National Park, show concentrations of burnt stone, pottery and flaked stone. By 1652 the region between the coast in the south , the Hottentots Holland Mountains in the west and the Breede River in the east were mainly occupied by Khoikhoi herders belonging to the Chainouqua tribe (Fig. 3). it was reported that in 1673, the whole tribe consisted of eleven kraals, and by 1707, fourteen to sixteen kraals.

Description of the Affected Area Details of area surveyed

1 :50 000 topographical map of the area: 3419 DB-DO Elim

The site is located in rugged terrain on the Klipdrift River about 3.5 km south of the town of Napier (Fig. 4). The area is made up of low mountains and undulating hills covered by moderately tall , dense restoid , ericoid and proteoid shrubland (Fig. 5A) The substrate is comprised of acidic lithosol soils derived from Table Mountain Group sandstones (Fig 5B-O) .

Methodology

The survey area covered about 4.5 ha (Fig . 6, Table 1). This included the dam wall locality and a 300m section of superficial sediments along the river bed (Fig . 7 and 8). The area, including the access roads to the site (Fig . 9), was systematically surveyed on foot, using a Garmin Etrex Vista GPS hand model (set to the WGS 84 map datum) and a digital camera . Archaeological visibility

• Except for stone artifacts and ceramics, the acidic soils in the area are not conducive to the preservation of bone and shell or other kinds of organic material.

• ESA visibility is most likely limited to isolated finds in secondary (alluvial) contexts; cave sites are not relevant to the footprint zone.

• Away from caves or rock shelters, MSA visibility is generally restricted to prehistoric living floors exposed by wind erosion amongst coastal dunes, or isolated finds and associated surface scatters, particularly along river drainages and along erosional profiles. It commonly occurs as contextually derived individual finds in the open veld.

• LSA visibility in the area is most likely related to stone tools and associated pottery, stone enclosures or burial sites. As Stone Age herders lived in larger social groups than their hunter-gatherer contemporaries, they also tended to abandon caves and rock shelters with the result that their living sites are less easy to identify in the landscape.

• Colonial period ruins (e.g. stone and mud brick walls, foundations and associated stone kraal structures, marked grave sites) will be visible on the landscape.

Table 1. Coordinates of the survey area.

Ref. # Coordinates

A S34 30' 31.34" E19 53' 35.53"

B S34 30' 38.42" E19 53' 39.54" I C S34 30' 42.83" E19 53' 38.07"

D S34 30' 31.02 E19 53' 38 .87"

E S34 30' 35.77" E19 53' 42.11"

F S34 30' 44.03" E19 53' 39.80"

7 Results of Survey

A foot survey has indicated no evidence of Stone Age archaeological material, capped or distributed as surface scatters on the landscape covering the survey area and access roads. There are also no indications of prehistoric structures or remains within or in the immediate vicinity of the site. Given its proximity to mountain outcrop, the survey area may not have been regarded as a favourable spot for settlement and pasture by the Khoikhoi, as it has been suggested that these herders preferred the same fertile and well­ watered parts of the landscape that was later utilized by colonial farmers.

Historical buildings, structures or graves are absent from the survey area.

A cave, located about 250m southwest of the survey area and about 80m above the river bed, will not be impacted by the proposed development (Fig . 10).

Statement of Significance

It is noted that the farm Vierfontein farm is located within a wider region that is known for its rich and diverse archaeological record. In accordance with the types and ranges of heritage resources as outlined in Section 3 of the National Heritage Resources Act (No 25 of 1999), there is no evidence of building structures or material of cultural significance, places which are associated with living heritage, or archaeological sites within the area that was surveyed.

Field Rating

The 4.5 ha site is of low archaeological significance.

8 References

Elphick , R. 1985. KhoiKhoi and the founding of White South Africa. Ravan Press, Johannesburg.

Keller, C. M. 1970. Montagu Cave: A preliminary report. Quaternaria. 13, 187- 204.

Klein , R.G. 1986. The Prehistory of Stone Age Herders in the Cape Province of South Africa. SAAB Goodwin Ser. 5, 5 - 12.

Schweitzer, F.R. 1974. Archaeological Evidence for Sheep at the Cape. SAAB 29 (1151116) , 75-82.

Schweitzer, F.R. & Wilson, M.L. 1978. A Preliminary Report on Excavations at Byneskranskop, Bredasdorp District, Cape. SAAB 33(128), 134 - 140.

Macfarlane, D.R. 1949. A Preliminary Report on the age of the high-level gravels between Napier and Riversdale. SAAB 4(15), 95- - 97.

Sadr, K. 2008. Invisible herders? The archaeology of Khoekhoe pastoralists. SA Humanities 20, 179 - 203.

Avery, G. 1974. Open Station Shell Midden Sites and Associated Features from the Area, South- Western Cape, South Africa. SAAB 29 (1151116) , 104 -114.

Grobbelaar, C.S. & Goodwin, AJ.H. 1952. Report on the skeletons and implements in association with them from a cave near Bredasdorp. SAAB 7 (27), 95 - 107.

Sampson, C.G. 1962. The Cape Hangklip main site. Jnl. UCT Sci. Soc. 5, 15 -24.

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Figure 2 lists the principal sites in the region that have provided stone tools, bones of domestic stock, potsherds, or human remains in a Stone Age context. The survey area is marked by a red star. 1. Gordons Bay; 2. Hangklip; 3. ; 4. De Kelders Cave; 5. Byeneskranskop; 6. Pearly Beach; 7. Hagelkraal; 8. Skipkop; 9. Bontebok Nature Reserve; 10. Montagu Cave. ~ ~ Olifants River , n 'l.- \ b erge ....~& ~ 0 (\~>~ ~ e '\1'1 ~ " , \,~,'\\'t'f /":,\,, " . d'I" ,·'1\), ~...\}\~'\' , ,., ",.. V "~'-'-' \ " ... " ..I , I'; ~\e ... '\~)l.... \- gl'-r'I1~:&..., .T~~-,~ ...."), ~'.:r'.. '('" (10, - -ll'1h" ~~ \ ~~/~~~#'4:'~" . ..';o1I:\' <,'.'t/l ' "'( )~ ;)'~~ ":P :¥-r. ~ .~ '" "-@;, <: ','It, ., .);"<1 V '-.l\ Great Berg River o Ul'if,: ('i) ~~ , .,/~~; ebergen ( - , •. ,,.. •.., """ ,\ ",0" ~ ..:::;, ll: .:0 ~, , " . ~ D...." " '" a" "C"H". >?1,,,. . Saldanha Bay l' • v,( &. n/.,.r,.;~: '''~r ~ • '> " ". ( '.-... " C!J - .. , .. ,.lr.-!. , .'1.I.-" .....~ • 1\(1 'l/f. (' A ~ ~: ....r ~ ·'").,}f. 7'0r-"J~~<.. ,::.;, ; i"», ~ 0;'. °O,~ ',,~t ~I~ ""H';.lI i ·(, ;~~2f." ~be~"" ' o . g~0. e~~~*~fr ~;< GOUR IQU /'\ 'f.. to... '-..< .~ ~""'11J; ~ . : 'I' '' '' i ''.~,''''~'l~~'I. .I'i>J.~''-' /~'\) r '0 . f.i09 "'",(;9 Cape of 0(/ Rieer" ,~" Zooder HE S '0'00"~MoSSel Bay Good Hope 'f...:::. 'Y CH4INOU~<5' : "",;, " PENINSULARS" ...... + /-:/ ""6>6> .-s;.t-. ' ~ .-s;.t-. 6>"" 150 km 6>""

Figure 3. Approximate distribution of Khoikhoi tribes before contact with Europeans (after Elphick 1985). The survey area is marked by the red star. ~ N - ,~ '\, ( .~ ­ I f I , r:J - .. eo9'Prf. \~~ '-~ \ ) \< 1 " i ' ~ ' IS> i ~.Jl: ' i'" .,... --{. '\ ., ' ("-'~ ~ . - - 1 ~... / ~ ~-- -...... , ~ I _._.-r----,- . ' - S~- _. ,~- .J - - " ~ ,_ J

j . 'II" ( . I:::---t~",.", ~~" ,-, -' .< f ' ' , ' u.; I ' I, I - - - r- .\ '1 ~~ _~ , ----. -, --.500 -­ --- - ( I - /' I ' ' ~- _.:::-. -/r • l J8J) ~ . "l.~ . .:; !' I ~, 'N . S56.4m -----=-..... _ __ ~ '"ij .:_ .~ L. ' ~.:.' ~ -.-~ ~. --- . ~ ~ - SOOm - Figure 4.The site is located in rugged terrain on the Klipdrift River about 3.5 km south of the town of Napier.

~ w 14 Figure 6. Aerial view of the survey area. The site is demarcated by a dotted line (position of the proposed dam wall shown by arrow).

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18 Figure 10. From the dam wall locality, looking south into Vlermuiskelderkloof (A). The area demarcated by the red line was surveyed on foot. A north-facing cave is located southwest of and about 80m above the riverbed (B arrow). ~ <0