Prehistoric herders and foragers of the Kalahari: the evidence for 1500 years of interaction

Denbow, James R. (James Raymond)

essay

Prehistoric herders and foragers of the Kalahari: the evidence for 1500 years of interaction

past and present in hunter gatherer studies • Orlando, Fla. • Published In 1984 • Pages: 175-193

By: Denbow, James R. (James Raymond).

Abstract
This is a summary of the archaeological data for forager-agropastoral interaction that draws on information from 400 surveyed sites as well as the results of detailed excavations at 16 selected localities.This work has produced a sequence of radiocarbon dates spanning much of the past two milllennia which the author presents in two tables in the text. The archaeological evidence summarized in this chapter indicates that a large gap exists in our understanding and historical assessment of the impact of outside influence on the San. Both the archaeological data and recorded events suggest that contemporary life-styles in the region have been characterized by convergent regional relations and periods of economic flux. In such dynamic circumstances, to fix on one segment of this wider mosaic (whether a particular commodity, group, or archaeological site) as an anthropological isolate may lead to serious distortions in our grasp of past and present proocesses of stability and change (pp. 189-190).

Prehistory

Acculturation and culture contact

Sociocultural trends

External relations

Chronologies and culture sequences

San