Locating the Battle of Blaauwberg (1806) Field Hospital, Blaauwbergsvalley, Cape Town, South Africa: the Archaeological Evidence
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LOCATING THE BATTLE OF BLAAUWBERG (1806) FIELD HOSPITAL, BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY, CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE A view from the farmyard at Blaauwbergsvalley overlooking the Blaauwberg mountain. Photo. M.E. Breytenbach. HONOURS DEGREE DISSERTATION UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA JANUARY 2016 Marius Breytenbach TABLE OF CONTENT 1. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 1 2. THE HISTORICAL SETTING AT THE CAPE ................................................ 5 3. LITERATURE REVIEW .................................................................................. 6 3.1. Theoretical considerations .............................................................................. 7 3.2. Examples of battlefield archaeology ............................................................ 9 3.2.1. The Battle of Little Bighorn ................................................................... 9 3.2.2. The Battle of Towton .......................................................................... 11 3.3. Conclusion ................................................................................................ 12 4. DOCUMENTARY SOURCES ...................................................................... 13 4.1. Documentary sources up to the battle (1794-1806) .................................. 14 4.2. Documentary sources after the battle (1806-1836) ................................... 19 4.3. Documentary sources from 1836 to the 21st century ................................. 32 4.4. Discussing documentary sources .............................................................. 38 5. RESEARCH AT BLAAUBERGSVALLEY ................................................... 39 5.1. Pat Matejek ............................................................................................... 39 5.2. Gary Thomson .......................................................................................... 40 5.3. Willem Hutten ............................................................................................ 50 6. METHODOLOGY ......................................................................................... 51 i 6.1. Site description .......................................................................................... 51 6.2. Archaeological survey ............................................................................... 56 6.2.1. Geophysical archaeological survey (see Addendum A for the full report).............. ................................................................................................ 57 6.2.2. Intensive archaeological survey .......................................................... 58 7. RESULTS ..................................................................................................... 62 7.1. Intensive archaeological survey (also see Addendum B) .......................... 62 7.2. Geophysical analysis ................................................................................ 64 7.3. Reconstructing the historical landscape of Blaauwbergsvalley ................. 67 8. CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 71 9. REFERENCE LIST....................................................................................... 73 10. ARCHIVAL SOURCES..................................................................................76 11. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. ....................................................................... 7678 ADDENDUM A: Report of Geophysical Survey ...................................................... 79 ADDENDUM B: Tables summarizing artefact finds from midden areas ................. 93 ADDENDUM C: The research team ....................................................................... 99 ii LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE 1. A MAP FROM THE IRMP INDICATING THE AREA ENCOMPASSED BY THE BLAAUWBERG NATURE RESERVE (KÜYLER 2011). ....................................................................................................................................................................1 FIGURE 2. A MAP FROM THE IRMP INDICATING THE LOCATION OF VARIOUS ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES WITHIN THE NATURE RESERVE (KÜYLER 2011). ..............................................................................................................................................2 FIGURE 3. A DIAGRAM FROM THE FIRST TITLE DEED OF BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY IN WHICH THE LOCATION OF A ‘WAGENPAD’, ‘UITSPAN’ AND SPRING ARE INDICATED. THE PROPERTY’S NAME IS INDICATED AS BEING ‘BLAAUWEBERGSVALLEIJ’ (DIAGRAM S.G. DGM NO 30/1794). .............................................................................................................................................14 FIGURE 4. THE VIEW FROM WHERE HENRY MARTYN LOOKED OVER THE BATTLE PLAIN. THE RED ARROW INDICATE THE LOCATION OF BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY WHERE MARTYN SAW SOME FARMHOUSES IN THE DISTANCE. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. ..........18 FIGURE 5. MAP OF THE BATTLE SITE DATING TO MARCH/APRIL 1806, DRAWN BY CAPTAINS READ & LONG. TWO LONGHOUSES ARE INDICATED PARALLEL TO EACH OTHER WITH A ROAD PASSING NEARBY. ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THE ROAD, THE SPRING /DAM AREA IS INDICATED (M1/2064-2071). ....................................................................................................21 FIGURE 6. A SECOND MAP OF THE BATTLE SITE, DRAWN BY READ & LONG DATING TO THE 24TH OF SEPTEMBER 1806. ON THIS MAP, TWO HOUSES ARE DRAWN PERPENDICULAR TO EACH OTHER WITH A SPRING/DAM LAYING ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ROAD (M3/21/1806). ..................................................................................................................................22 FIGURE 7. AN ENLARGEMENT OF FIGURE 6 (M3/21/1806). ..........................................................................................22 FIGURE 8. A GRAPHIC REPRESENTATION OF JUSTINUS KEER’S INVENTORY MERGED ONTO A FLOORPLAN. (A) THE ‘VOORHUIS’, (B) ROOM TO THE RIGHT, (C) ROOM TO THE LEFT, (D1D2) THE KITCHEN OR ‘BAKHUIS’. D2 CAN ALSO POSSIBLY REFER TO THE “BUITENVERTREK” REFERRED TO IN THE INVENTORY. DRAWN BY M.E. BREYTENBACH. .................................................30 FIGURE 9. A GROUND PLAN OF A TYPICAL T-SHAPED HOUSE CAN BE SEEN: (1) FRONT-ROOM 'VOORHUIS', (2) ROOMS 'KAMERS', (3) KITCHEN 'KOMBUIS', (6) FIREPLACE 'HAARD' (CORNELL & MALAN 2005:63). THIS FLOORPLAN VERY CLOSELY RESEMBLES THAT OF KEER'S INVENTORY. ............................................................................................................................31 FIGURE 10. DIAGRAM OF LOT LA. H IN WHICH THE THREE HUNDRED MORGEN OUTSPAN AREA CAN ALSO BE SEEN (DIAGRAM 291/1872). .................................................................................................................................................33 FIGURE 11. ABOVE A DIAGRAM OF LOT LA.F IN WHICH THE OUTSPAN AREA RELATED TO THE FARM BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY CAN BE SEEN (DIAGRAM 289/1872). ..........................................................................................................................34 FIGURE 12. DIAGRAM OF FARM 431 ENCOMPASSING VARIOUS SMALLER PROPERTIES (S.G. 8234/65). ..................................35 FIGURE 13. DIAGRAM OF FARM 1141 (DIAGRAM 9944/71). .........................................................................................36 FIGURE 14. A MAP INDICATING THE LOCATIONS OF COINS RETRIEVED BY GARY THOMSON AND JOE RIBAUDO AT BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY FROM 1996-1997. MAP DRAWN BY GARY THOMSON. ..........................................................41 FIGURE 15. MAP SHOWING THE LOCATIONS OF MILITARY BUTTONS RETRIEVED BY GARY THOMSON AND JOE RIBAUDO AT BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY FROM 1996-1997. MAP DRAWN BY GARY THOMSON. ..........................................................42 FIGURE 16. A MAP INDICATING THE LOCATION OF MUSKET PARTS FOUND AT BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY. THE MAP WAS DRAWN BY GARY THOMSON. ...........................................................................................................................................43 FIGURE 17. A SKETCH BY GARY THOMSON OF MUSKET PARTS THAT WERE COLLECTED FROM BLAAUWBERGSVALLEY. ...................43 iii FIGURE 18. MAP INDICATING WHERE GARY THOMSON AND JOE RIBAUDO RETRIEVED MUSKET BALLS FROM 1996-1997. MAP DRAWN BY GARY THOMSON. ............................................................................................................................44 FIGURE 19. A MILITARY BUTTON FROM THE KING'S ROYAL IRISH LIGHT DRAGOONS. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. ....................49 FIGURE 20. A BUTTON WITH AN INLAID PATTERN. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. .................................................................49 FIGURE 21. BUTTON WITH INLAID PATTERN. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. ........................................................................49 FIGURE 22. COIN FROM ST. HELENA DATED 1821. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. ...............................................................49 FIGURE 23. HALFPENNY OF KING GEORGE III DATING TO 1806-1807. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. .....................................49 FIGURE 24. A MUSKET BALL FIRED BY A CHARLEVILLE MUSKET. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. ................................................49 FIGURE 25. MILITARY BUCKLES RETRIEVED FROM THE DUMPSITE. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. .............................................50 FIGURE 26. A BRASS FRONT END OF A MUSKET. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. ....................................................................50 FIGURE 27. A SIDE VIEW OF FIGURE 27. PHOTO: M.E. BREYTENBACH. ..............................................................................50