<p>This thesis deals with the connection between archaeological sites and</p><p>processes of identity formation in Southern Africa, as expressed in relation to the Twyfelfontein rock art site and Great Zimbabwe, and, to some extent, the White Lady site. The aim is to understand in what ways people think of, and identify with, archaeological monuments. The Twyfelfontein rock art site is presented in the form of a case study, based on my own fieldwork of 2004, while the descriptions of the other sites derive from literary sources. The theoretical discussion on identity, and ethnic identity in particular, is central to this thesis. In analysing the conditions of the different archaeological sites, a discursive approach is taken in order to</p><p>highlight the way perceptions of the past, and people’s identities, are dependant upon social and political processes.</p>

This research reviewed the neglect of cities in the mission work of the Reformed Churches in Southern Africa with a special reference to churches of Synod Soutpansberg. The biblical passage, Jeremiah 29:1-14 was used, as a representative of other biblical passages, to shed light on the role of cities in mission work of the church while addressing misconceptions and false theology about the cities and the role they played and still play in the mission work of the church. The same biblical message is confirmed by many missiology literature, including, "Cities, Missions' New Frontier" by R.S. Greenway and T.M. Monsma (1989); "City of God - City of Satan" by R.C. Linthicum(1991) and "Discipling the City" by R.S. Greenway (1992). The biblical message and the missiology literature mentioned above were the basis from which the neglect of the role of the cities in the history of the mission work of the Reformed Churches in Southern Africa was studied. From these basis, the causes, implementations and effects of such neglect in the mission work of the Soutpansberg churches was studied in Chapter 3. The empirical research was conducted using the interview questionnaire in Chapter 4. The empirical results and findings, which were presented in this research, can direct churches towards a remedy of the neglect of the cities in their mission work as far as the strategies is concerned. The neglect of the cities in the history of the mission work of the Reformed Churches in Southern Africa was studied with an aim that churches learn from it and hence avoid the past neglect in their present and future mission plans, strategies and programs. In other words, the lesson is important for churches to view the role of the secular cities as important instruments used by God to speed up not only the planting and growing big holy churches from those secular cities outwards, but also the biblical reformation of the rural - orientated theories, strategies and practice! / Thesis (M.A. (Theology))--North-West University, Vaal Triangle Campus, 2008.

Ontogenetic patterns in postcranial robusticity are analysed in the skeletons of eighty-two juvenile Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers with estimated ages at death ranging from infancy to late adolescence. Robusticity is quantified from cross-sectional geometric properties of diaphyses at sixteen sites throughout the skeleton, using radiography and casting methods. Skeletal growth profiles for strength measures are analysed with locally-weighted regression and additional curve fitting to evaluate developmental trajectories. Ethnographic accounts of infancy and childhood in modern Ju/'hoansi (Khoesan) communities provide a culturally-relevant interpretive framework for evaluating skeletal correlates of behaviour. This research demonstrates that bone strength properties can be functionally linked to behaviour among juveniles toward the reconstruction of patterns of physical activity among prehistoric children. Postcranial strength measures vary predictably with age such that developmental patterns and timing in appositional growth can be assessed reliably. The onset of walking among Later Stone Age juveniles is evident by two years of age from proportional lower to upper limb strength measures. The lower limb continues to adapt to increasing loading demands especially in response to torsional forces, and bending in the medio-lateral plane; biomechanical shape measures illustrate the gradual development of the femoral pilaster. Individual humeral strength is symmetrical with respect to the orientation maximal bending forces experienced throughout development, but the magnitude of the functional adaptive response is greater, on average, in the right limb with more than 70% of the sample over the age of six displaying right-side dominance. Humeral asymmetry and side dominance does not emerge until late childhood, and the majority of arm strength is accrued during adolescence, relative to the sex-combined mean values for Later Stone Age adults. Evidence for sexual dimorphism in upper limb properties is evident by late adolescence whereas sex-based patterns of mobility reflected in lower limb strength have yet to emerge. These results illustrate the developmental patterns that underlie postcranial markers of subsistence activities in Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers.

The evolutionary history of the South African papionins is a useful analog for the emergence of hominids in South Africa. However, the taxonomic relationships of the papionins are unclear. This study uses low-magnification stereomicroscopy to examine dental microwear and uses the microwear signals to explore the existing classification of these papionins. The results from the species and site level analyses are equivocal. However, the genera and time period results show clear evidence for a dietary change between the extinct and extant forms of Papio and Parapapio. This adds an additional tool for distinguishing these two groups. The dietary changes witnessed in the papionins are likely found in the hominids from the Plio-Pleistocene. Using the papionin analog, hominid dietary evolution may be explored.

Ontogenetic patterns in postcranial robusticity are analysed in the skeletons of eighty-two juvenile Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers with estimated ages at death ranging from infancy to late adolescence. Robusticity is quantified from cross-sectional geometric properties of diaphyses at sixteen sites throughout the skeleton, using radiography and casting methods. Skeletal growth profiles for strength measures are analysed with locally-weighted regression and additional curve fitting to evaluate developmental trajectories. Ethnographic accounts of infancy and childhood in modern Ju/'hoansi (Khoesan) communities provide a culturally-relevant interpretive framework for evaluating skeletal correlates of behaviour. This research demonstrates that bone strength properties can be functionally linked to behaviour among juveniles toward the reconstruction of patterns of physical activity among prehistoric children. Postcranial strength measures vary predictably with age such that developmental patterns and timing in appositional growth can be assessed reliably. The onset of walking among Later Stone Age juveniles is evident by two years of age from proportional lower to upper limb strength measures. The lower limb continues to adapt to increasing loading demands especially in response to torsional forces, and bending in the medio-lateral plane; biomechanical shape measures illustrate the gradual development of the femoral pilaster. Individual humeral strength is symmetrical with respect to the orientation maximal bending forces experienced throughout development, but the magnitude of the functional adaptive response is greater, on average, in the right limb with more than 70% of the sample over the age of six displaying right-side dominance. Humeral asymmetry and side dominance does not emerge until late childhood, and the majority of arm strength is accrued during adolescence, relative to the sex-combined mean values for Later Stone Age adults. Evidence for sexual dimorphism in upper limb properties is evident by late adolescence whereas sex-based patterns of mobility reflected in lower limb strength have yet to emerge. These results illustrate the developmental patterns that underlie postcranial markers of subsistence activities in Later Stone Age hunter-gatherers.

I examined the effect of sugarcane plantations on small mammal communities at 3 sites in the Lowveld of Swaziland during the dry and wet seasons of 2008. I evaluated changes in species abundance and community parameters in relation to distance to the interface, as well as the relationship between small mammal communities and environmental variables. I used pitfall arrays and Sherman live traps to sample small mammals along 9 traplines at the land-use interface and on a gradient extending 375 m into each land-use. I used point-centered-quarter, range pole, and line-transect sampling to characterize plant community structure. Two generalist small mammal species had increased abundance as distance into the sugarcane increased. Two species with wide geographic ranges appeared to select areas within 75 m of the interface. Four species with restricted habitat tolerances or diets were negatively affected by sugarcane, as was 1 species that selects for low ground cover. Two species may have avoided the interface. For the majority of species in the Lowveld, sugarcane does not provide habitat. Sugarcane monocultures > 375 m in width may form a barrier to movement of small mammal species. Species richness and diversity significantly decreased at the interface of 2 sites, however, 1 site had increased diversity associated with the interface. My analysis indicated a difference in community composition between the 2 land-uses and differences between the farthest interior conservation area (375 m)-interface (0 m) and the farthest interior sugarcane (375 m). There was no difference in community composition between seasons or distances within the conservation area. The farthest interior sugarcane trapline had distinctness from other traplines within the sugarcane, and may be of importance for minimizing the effects of habitat fragmentation in lowveld savanna. The effects of sugarcane did not extend into adjoining natural vegetation. My results indicated grass biomass, litter depth and shrub density played important roles in structuring the communities. Between sites, variation in community structure attributable to the sugarcane interface varied. The site with poorest vegetative cover had the highest relative importance of distance to the interface. One species (Steatomys pratensis) was negatively affected by distance to the interface.

Diss. Uppsala : Uppsala universitet, 2006.

Studies of food insecurity have frequently focused on rural dwellers as vulnerable populations. However, during the ‘global food crisis’ of 2007-2008, riots in more than 50 countries visibly demonstrated the vulnerability of urban populations to food insecurity due to rapidly rising food prices. This study examines factors associated with participation in an urban garden project (UGP), utilizing surveys (n=61) and in-depth household interviews (n=37) to examine food security and dietary diversity of households in urban Lesotho. Households that participated in the garden project were more food insecure and had lower dietary diversity than those that did not participate. However, it cannot be determined if participation in the project caused this difference, or if households already experiencing these issues self-selected to participate. Factory workers households, which make up a large part of the target population, did not appear to be much difference between factory worker and non-factory worker households. More female-headed households than male-headed households were categorized as severely food insecure and experienced lower levels of dietary diversity, though this difference is not statistically significant. Because the study did not utilize random sampling, the findings cannot be generalized. Nonetheless, they provide important direction for future studies. Lack of awareness was the primary barrier to participation in the project. Another barrier was not having enough time to attend demonstrations, to plant, or to tend a garden. Time constraints were often work-related but sometimes included to other obligations such as attending funerals. Participants in the urban garden project were very knowledgeable about the costs and benefit of participating, reported having taught others how to replicate the gardens, and had even shared seeds with friends and neighbors. Despite the project having started a mere six weeks before the time of this study, and the fact that the garden demonstrations were being held during the winter season in Lesotho, UGP participants reported having already eaten and sold leafy greens from their gardens.  Key areas for follow up study include a randomized, longitudinal examination of participation in the garden program, as well as an evaluation of the effectiveness of the project. Further, an examination of coping strategies such as the use of funerals as a source of food also deserves systematic study. Finally, there should be consideration of how information is disseminated to communities, with careful examination of what defines “community” and how social networks strongly influence the distribution of knowledge about such projects.

In spite of decades-long development programs, Lesotho faces an ongoing problem of water insecurity with far- reaching individual and social impacts. The purpose of this research was to understand how women in Lesotho are impacted by the synergistic epidemics, or syndemics, of water insecurity and HIV/AIDS and how they respond to these forces. Little has been done to address how water insecurity, defined in terms of both sufficient amount and quality of water, catalyzes the syndemic impact on the people of Lesotho. Access to safe and reliable sources of water is crucial for all individuals, particularly those who have been affected by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. First, water is essential for adequate nutrition since it is required for the growing of agricultural products and for the preparation of adequate foods needed to maintain the nutritional health of those already infected with the virus. Second, food and water security is essential for the treatment of AIDS, as the complex drug regimes of anti-retroviral (ARV) medications require reliable and constant access to safe water and nutritious foods to facilitate compliance with medications. This research was also concerned with understanding the psycho-emotional experience of water insecurity. Water insecurity constrained people's ability to effectively care for their families and, as a result, created additional work and stress. Indeed, quantitative findings revealed that there was a significant relationship between water insecurity and psycho-emotional distress, and that water insecurity predicted higher scores on the Hopkins Symptoms Checklist (HSCL-25), holding constant socio-economic variables and food insecurity. Water security is dependent on many dimensions from adequate availability, secure access, and having enough water for one's daily needs. However, worry about water safety emerged as an important focus in both the qualitative and quantitative data. Water safety was a noted stress in people's daily lives, and significantly predicted increased scores on the HSCL-25. More broadly, this research theoretically informs critical medical anthropology and development anthropology. While this research was conducted in three villages in the Lesotho lowlands, this research must be contextualized within larger anthropological theory regarding international development and women in relation to it. This research combines several theories used in anthropology, international development, and social geography including political economy and structural violence, post-structuralism and governmentality, and theorizations about space and place to understand how women in Lesotho respond to globalization. Despite the proliferation of the terms participation and participatory development nearly 20 years ago, these constructs remain important in international development. While the ideology of participation originally stems from activist understandings of the role of communities in development, the use of participation has become depoliticized. As opposed to grassroots mobilization and the foregrounding of local realities, participation often means little more than a method for facilitating project implementation. Furthermore, respondents routinely discussed programs coming into communities and leaving without notice or explanation. It is imperative for donor organizations to consider the ethics of sustainability when planning and implementing new programs. In terms of community programs and grassroots organizing, findings from this research indicate that there are many material and social barriers to participation. Understanding not only women's other responsibilities but also the support they may receive from family and friends is important in any discussion of community participation. Many feminist critics of development argue that gender and class considerations have not been meaningfully addressed in policy and development programs. As global feminists argue that development aims should understand the heterogeneity of women worldwide, more research on women's perceptions of their vulnerability and their position in society is needed to inform development. Women in the global South are not passive victims and their views are important in delineating the goals and methods of development plans. Furthermore, it is important to recognize that participation may not always be in women's, or men's, best interest and that often activism and collective organizing may be more subtle than expected. In short, neither globalization nor resistance are complete power is contingent and negotiated, and thus this research reaffirms the importance of ethnography in uncovering the lived experience of globalization, or a critical ethnography of globalization.

Angola’s civil war in the mid-1970s has an important role to play in the ongoing debate within the diplomatic history community over how best to explain American foreign policy. As such, this dissertation uses the Angolan crisis as a case study to investigate and unravel the reasons for the American covert intervention on behalf of two pro-Western liberation movements: the National Front for the Liberation of Angola (FNLA), led by Holden Roberto, and Jonas Savimbi’s National Union for the Total Independence of Angola. That Angola is a late 20th century example of foreign intervention is not disputed. However, the more significant and difficult questions surrounding this Cold War episode, which are still debated and which directly relate to the purpose of this study, are first, “Why did the United States involve itself in Angola when it had previously ignored Portugal’s African colonies, preferring to side with its NATO partner and to maintain its distance from Angola’s national liberation movements?” Was it really, as the Ford Administration asserted, a case of the United States belatedly responding to Soviet expansionism and Kremlin-supported aggression by Agostinho Neto’s leftist Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA). Secondly, “Exactly when did the United States intervene, and was this intervention largely responsible for the ensuing escalation of violence and external involvement in Angola affairs?” In other words, as suggested by the House Select Committee on Intelligence, was the Soviet Union’s intervention in response to the American decision to allocate $300,000 to Holden Roberto’s National Front in January 1975? If so, then contrary to the Ford Administration’s official account of the crisis, the United States - and not the Soviet Union - was the initial provocateur in the conflict that left the resource-rich West African nation in a ruinous, perpetual state of warfare into the early 21st century.