Heritage Management of Archaeological, Historical and Industrial Resources on the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve
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HERITAGE MANAGEMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES ON THE BLYDE RIVER CANYON NATURE RESERVE CHRISTINE ROWE 2009 © University of Pretoria HERITAGE MANAGEMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES ON THE BLYDE RIVER CANYON NATURE RESERVE by CHRISTINE ROWE A Dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTER HEREDITATIS CULTURAEQUE SCIENTIAE (HERITAGE AND MUSEUM STUDIES) in the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies at the UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA FACULTY OF HUMANITIES Supervisor: Ms. M. van Heerden Co-supervisor: Dr. R.C. De Jong August 2009 CONTENTS PAGE CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY 1 1. Overall objectives 3 2. Concepts and terminology 5 3. Methodology 10 CHAPTER II OVERVIEW OF INTERNATIONAL AND NATIONAL CULTURAL HERITAGE MANAGEMENT IN THE AREAS OF ARCHEAOLOGICAL, HISTORICAL AND INDUSTRIAL RESOURCES 11 1. International: Historiography and discussion of sources 11 2. Cultural heritage management in South Africa 16 CHAPTER III HISTORICAL OVERVIEW OF STUDY AREA AND HERITAGE DATA LIST 18 1. Place, relevancy and significance of the study area 18 2. Historical overview of the study area 20 3. Cultural heritage resources on the BCNR 21 a. Stone Age archaeology 21 b. Rock art survey on the BCNR 22 i. Introduction to the San and their art 22 ii. Religious significance and themes 24 iii. The San in Mpumalanga 27 iv. Contact between the San and other groups 28 c. Iron Age archaeology 29 d. Rock Art of black farmer communities 33 e. Ethno-historic evidence 34 i. Eastern Sotho group: The Pai 37 ii. Eastern Sotho group: The Pulana 37 iii. Eastern Sotho group: The Kutswe 38 iv. The baLetswalo / baMahlo 39 v. The baPhaleng 39 vi. Central Sotho group: The Pedi 39 ii PAGE f. Sacred sites, monuments, burial grounds, graves and cemeteries 41 g. Historic evidence 43 h. Historical, industrial built environment 45 i. Bourke's Luck and Dientjie Mines 45 ii. Early timber harvesting 47 iii. Belvedere hydro-electric power station 48 iv. Historic scenic features 49 CHAPTER IV RELEVANT LEGISLATION FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES MANAGEMENT IN SOUTH AFRICA, WITH SPECIFIC REFERENCE TO THE BCNR 53 1. Introduction 53 2. Discussion and background on current strategic management plan 54 3. Specific legislation relevant in the management of cultural heritage resources 57 a. Historic background 57 b. The period after democratic transformation 61 c. International charters 70 d. National legislation and regulations 71 e. Provincial legislation 72 4. Interpretation and evaluation 72 a. Archaeological: Stone Age and Iron Age 77 i. Applicable legislation 78 ii. Guiding principles 78 b. Historical: recent African history and graves 79 i. Applicable legislation 80 ii. Guiding principles 80 c. Industrial: built environment 82 i. Applicable legislation 82 ii. Guiding principles 83 d. Historical tourist features: monuments and natural sites with special significance 84 i. Applicable legislation 84 iii PAGE ii. Guiding principles 85 e. Economic upliftment initiatives 86 CHAPTER V MANAGEMENT GUIDELINES FOR CULTURAL HERITAGE RESOURCES ON THE BCNR 87 1. Background 87 2. Statement of significance 88 a. Archaeological sites 89 b. Rock art sites 90 c. Sacred sites, monuments, burial grounds, graves and cemeteries 91 d. Historical, industrial and built environment 91 3. Strategic management plan 92 a. Vision, mission and guiding principles for cultural resources management 92 i. Vision 93 ii. Mission statement 93 iii. Fundamental and management principles 94 b. Financial management 96 c. Guiding principles for conservation of cultural resources 97 4. Management guidelines 99 a. Archaeological sites 99 i. Objective 99 ii. Current status 100 iii. Principles regarding archaeological sites 101 iv. Conservation techniques 102 b. Rock art sites 103 i. Objective 103 ii. Current status 104 iii. SAHRA's principles for rock art conservation 105 iv. Inventory 105 v. Conservation techniques 106 vi. Overall management guidelines for archaeological and rock art sites 108 iv PAGE c. Sacred sites, monuments, burial grounds, graves and cemeteries 109 i. Objective 109 ii. Current status 109 iii. SAHRA'S burial sites unit policy and responsibility guidelines 111 d. Historic, industrial and built environment 112 i. Objective 113 ii. Current status 114 iii. SAHRA evaluation methods 116 iv. SAHRA guidelines for conservation management plans for the built environment 118 v. Management guidelines 118 e. Visitor access and management 119 i. Objective 120 ii. Current status 121 iii. General visitor management – guiding principles 122 iv. Staff education and site visits 123 v. Consumptive utilization of rock art sites 123 vi. Management guidelines 124 CHAPTER VI CONCLUSION 125 LIST OF APPENDICES 128 SOURCES 151 v LIST OF APPENDICES PAGE 1. Heritage Data List, BCNR 128 2. Bantu Tribes of South Africa: Escarpment area, N.J. Van Warmelo, Survey 1935 148 3. Questionnaire form 149 vi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS OPPOSITE PAGE Fig 1. The medicine or healing dance, BRC/13. 24 Fig 2. Experiences from the trance include elements of spiritual transformation, BRC/13. 24 Fig 3. Eland are not prominently depicted in the rock art of the Mpumalanga Escarpment, BRC/7,a. 24 Fig 4. One of the few depictions of women in the rock art of the escarpment, BRC/9. 24 Fig 5. A roan antelope, BRC/4. 24 Fig 6. Rows of finger dots, BRC/7,b. 25 Fig 7. Rhebuck is numerically dominant in the art of the escarpment, BRC/9. 25 Fig 8. Sheaves of arrows points to events in the spirit world rather than hunting equipment, BRC/9. 25 Fig 9a & 9b. Bags are known to be powerful metaphors for San shamanic experiences, BRC/7,b. 25 Fig 10. Images with extra limbs suggests the sensation experienced by shamans in altered states of consciousness, BRC/13. 26 Fig 11. Horizontal figures depict a floating sensation experienced during trance, BRC/3. 26 Fig 12. “Finger figures”, BRC/13 is depicted with no head or arms. 26 Fig 13. Patches of paint were probably touched to obtain potency, BRC/11. 26 Fig 14. The image of an antelope within a patch of paint, BRC/13. 26 Fig 15. Snake images may be metaphors for a shaman's altered state of consciousness, BRC/4. 26 Fig 16. Wavy lines (BRC/22,a; BRC/9, & BRC/13) link the sites with San shamanic visions. 27 Fig 17. The San believed that baboons possessed special magical powers (BRC/11b). 27 Fig 18a. Stone wall next to the Kadishi river in the extent of 2m high (LIA/SW/12). 29 Fig 18b. Another stone wall overlooking Belvedere, LIA/SW/5. 29 Fig 18c. Stone wall built below overhang in secluded valley (place of refuge). 29 Fig 19. Replica of one of the Lydenburg heads. 29 Fig 20. View of the valleys and gorges of the BCNR. 29 vii OPPOSITE PAGE Fig 21a. Artefacts of European manufacture are common at 20th century sites, H/S/47. 31 Fig 21b. Broken three legged cast iron pot, H/S/46. 31 Fig 22a. 20th century structures are common on the BCNR, H/S/26. 31 Fig 22b. Remains of pole and clay houses in the Swadini area H/S/44. 31 Fig 22c. Stone structure for protecting breeding chickens, H/S/46. 31 Fig 23. Slag and tuyères, or clay pipe associated with iron smelting, LIA/S/11. 32 Fig 24. A variety of iron hoes and chisels were discovered at Ohrigstad Nature Reserve. 32 Fig 25. Rock art of the black farmer communities. This image is superimposed on the San art, BRC/11. 33 Fig 26. This image of a cow is in black pigment, BRC/12. 33 Fig 27a. White pigment on older red motifs, BRC/15. The white spread-eagled image is situated towards the right. 34 Fig 27b. Decorated clay potsherd. 34 Fig 28. Detail of the spread-eagled image, BRC/15. 34 Fig 29. Thabaneng, “the mountain with a shadow that moves,” has a strong symbolic or intangible value, H/T/20. 34 Fig 30. The Three Rondavels, H/T/21. 34 Fig 31. Example of a lower grinding stone, H/S/47. 36 Fig 32. The site where the battle of Moholoholo (Mogologolo), took place, Battle site/1. 38 Fig 33a & 33b. The Maropa cemetery, 1958, B/Maropa/2. 42 Fig 34. The graves of Mogorobetse Kgosi, Makuke Klodovick Mashile, B/Mashile/3. 42 Fig 35. Queen Bitšedi Mashile's grave, 1885-1947, B/Mashile/4. 42 Fig 36. Informal graves near the place where rainmaking rituals took place, B/G/6. 42 Fig 37. Two modern ink bottles which were used during rainmaking rituals, B/G/6. 42 Fig 38. Oswald Pirow's grave, B/Pirow/7. 43 Fig 39. Plaque on Deneys Reitz, grave, Mariepskop, B/Reitz/8. Inscription: Colonel Deneys Reitz 1882/04/02-1944/10/19. 1899-1902: Boer Kommandos; 1914-1916 German West viii OPPOSITE PAGE and German East; 1917-1919 O/C Royal Scots Fusiliers; “VIR STRENUUS ET FORTIS, QUI DE ERAT TIMOR MORTIS.” Another member of the Reitz family, Lieut. C.M. Deneys Reitz B.A. [CANTAB], 1923/03/02 – 1952/09/03, is also commemorated here. Information on plaque: Killed 1952 S.A. Air Force. 43 Fig 40. L.A. Deneys Reitz: “L.A. Deneys Reitz M.A. [CANTAB], 1887/12/13 – 1959/12/27. “HUMANITAS ET SAPIENTIA” 43 Fig 41. O'Keeffe's huts in ca 1940, H/I/13. Elaine O'Keeffe celebrating her 4th birthday on the verandah of their home. 43 Fig 42. The Trichardt-Potgieter monument, M/1. 43 Fig 43a. Remains of the Dientjie Mine today, H/I/24. 46 Fig 43b. The Dientjie Mine during operation, H/I/24. 46 Fig 44. Old wagon tracks are still visible on BCNR, H/I/29, and some are still in use by local people.