The Archaeology of the Coastal Desert of Namaqualand, South Africa: A Regional Synthesis

Technical note: Interpreting stable carbon isotopes in human tooth enamel: An examination of tissue spacings from South Africa

“… References: (1) Stynder (2006); (2) Stynder et al (2007); (3) Sealy (1989); (4) Hausman (1980); (5) Sealy (1997); (6) Sealy et al (1992); (7) Lee‐Thorp et al (1989); (8) Sealy (1986); (9) Sealy and Pfeiffer (2000); (10) Sealy (2010); (11) Jerardino et al (1992); (12) Sealy (2006); (13) Patrick (1989); (14) Dewar (2008); (15) Sealy and van der Merwe (1988); (16) Sealy and van der Merwe (1986); (17) Morris et al (2004–2005). …”

An early date for cattle from Namaqualand, South Africa: implications for the origins of herding in southern Africa

“…In keeping with advance expectations, this matched the homologous portion of the mitochondrial genome in cow. In contrast, a more extensive segment of the mitochondrial genome recovered from a very young upper right maxilla (Figure 3) that we had previously identified as cow from Reception Shelter, approximately 200km to the south-east (Orton et al 2011), turned out instead to represent gemsbok (Oryx gazella), a large indigenous bovid that was common nearby historically and has been identified in other regional archaeological sites (Dewar 2008). The maxilla had been directly dated to 1840+ − 26 BP (OxA-25354) or AD 132-226 calibrated at 95.4% probability, and it thus appeared to support the early to mid-first millennium occurrence of cattle indicated by the Koingnaas horn core.…”

Late Holocene Archaeology in Namaqualand, South Africa: Hunter-Gatherers and Herders in a Semi-Arid Environment

“…By focusing on material culture and exploring new areas in southern Namaqualand I hope to compliment the work of Webley (1992b), who examined social change through the last 2000 years, and of Dewar (2008), who focused on subsistence and settlement strategies; both worked in central and northern Namaqualand. The Namaqualand cultural record consists primarily of stone artefacts, ostrich eggshell (OES) beads and pottery, which together form the heart of my study.…”

“…Compared to other parts of South Africa, archaeological research in Namaqualand, north-western South Africa (Figure 1.1), is relatively youthful. Two doctoral theses (Dewar 2007(Dewar , 2008Webley 1992b) and a handful of published journal papers (Dewar et al 2006;Dewar & Jerardino 2007;Jerardino et al 1992;Orton 2007dOrton , 2008aOrton , 2008dWebley 1992aWebley , 2002Webley , 2007 have been produced from the central region since the early 1990s, although commercial archaeologists began work in the coastal diamond mines around the same time. Publications have also resulted from research in the Richtersveld in the extreme north (Figure 1.1;Miller & Webley 1994;Orton 2007b;Orton & Halkett 2010.;A.…”