Text in English with abstracts in English, Afrikaans and isiXhosa / This thesis describes the development of a methodology to find inter tidal shipwrecks. The discussion revolves around finding a particular shipwreck – that of the Dutch slaver Meermin. The story of the revolt on the Meermin helps to focus the search and development of the methodology to find inter tidal shipwrecks as the Meermin was wrecked in this zone. The thesis contextualises the search and the story by discussing not only maritime archaeology in South Africa, but also looking at slave ship archaeology and the history of slavery at the Cape. One of the key techniques for finding shipwrecks is the use of magnetometers. The discussion defines the types of magnetometers available to archaeologists and how magnetometry was applied during the search for the Meermin. This inevitably includes an examination of the shipwrecks wrecked in the area of the Meermin episode as well as the way this region has changed over time. The results of the magnetometer searches (which included airborne, handheld and marine magnetometers) are discussed as well as the ground truthing of the results. The latter involved excavation and the development of excavation strategies, and excavation results are scrutinized. In the final analysis the search for the Meermin is further contextualised by considering the various impacts the project has had in other spheres. / Hierdie tesis beskryf die ontwikkeling van ‘n metodologie waarmee skeepswrakke in die inter-gety sone opgespoor kan word. Die Hollandse slaweskip, Meermin, is die fokus van die diskussie. Die storie van die slawe opstand op die Meermin help om die ontwikkeling en soektog na skeepswrakke in die inter-gety sone te verskerp, aangesien dit in hierdie sone was waarin die Meermin gestrand het. Die soektog en storie van die Meermin word gekontekstualiseer deur die bespreking van die ontwikkeling van maritieme argeologie in Suid Afrika, die argeologie van slawe skepe en ‘n kort geskiedenis van slawerny aan die Kaap. Magnetometers is een van die belangrikste tegnieke gebruik vir die opspoor van skeepswrakke. Die tipes magnetometers wat deur argeoloë gebruik word, word gedefinieër asook hoe magnetometers gedurende die soektog na die Meermin gebruik is. Daar word ook gekyk na die ander skepe wat in die area van die Meermin gestrand het en die veranderinge wat deur die jare in die streek plaasgevind het. Die resultate van die magnetometer soektogte (insluitend vliegtuig, draagbare en mariene magnetometers) word bespreek so wel as die opgrawings van die resultate. Hierdie opgrawings het noodwendig gelei tot die ontwikkeling van opgrawings tegnieke. Die resultate van die opgrawings word bespreek. Die finale analise kontekstualiseer die soektog na die Meermin met ‘n bepeinsing van die menige impakte wat die projek gehad het. / Le thisisi icacisa ngenkqubela kulwazi-nkqubo lokufumana iinqanawa ezaphuka phakathi kokuzala nokurhoxa kolwandle. Ingxoxo zimalunga nokufunyanwa kwenqanawa ethile eyaphukayo – kanye leyo yayithutha amakhoboka amaHolani i-Meermin. Ibali lovukelo kwi-Meermin liyasinceda siqwalasele uphando nenkqubela kulwazi-nkqubo lokufumana iinqanawa ezaphuka phakathi kokuzala nokurhoxa kolwandle njengoko i-Meermin yaqhekeka kanye kulo mmandla. Ithisisi le isicacisela kanye ngophando nembali ngokuxoxa hayi ngobunzululwazi ngezakudala emanzini eMzantsi Afrika nje kuphela, koko iphinde ijonge ngobunzululwazi ngezakudala kwinqanawa yokuthutha amakhoboka nembali yobukhoboka eKapa. Obunye bobuqili obuphambili ekufumaneni iinqanawa eziqhekekileyo kukusetyenziswa kwezixhobo zokulinganisa iintshukumo. Ingxoxo ibalula iindidi zezixhobo zokulinganisa iintshukumo ezisetyenziswa ziinzululwazi ngezakudala nendlela ekwasetyenziswa ngayo ukulinganiswa kwentshukumo ngethuba kuphandwa i-Meermin. Ngokuqhelekileyo oku kuquka ukucutyungulwa kweenqanawa ezaqhekekayo ziqhekeka kummandla wesehlo esisodwa se-Meermin kunye nendlela le ngingqi eguquke ngayo emveni koko. Iziphumo zophando ngezixhobo zokulinganisa iintshukumo (ziquka ezo zasesibhakabhakeni, ezibanjwa ngesandla nezasemanzini) ziyaxoxwa kunye neziphumo zenyani yenene. Le yokugqibela iquka ukwembiwa nenkqubela kwindlela zokomba, iziphumo zokomba nazo ziqwalaselwe. Kuye kwaphinda kwacaciswa kwintlahlela yokugqibela kuphando lwe-Meermin kuqwalaselwa iimpembelelo ezithile umsebenzi othe wangquzulena nazo nakwezinye iindawo. / Anthropology and Archaeology / M.A. (Archaeology)

A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, in fulfilment of requirements for the degree of Master of Science. Johannesburg, August 2015. / Burials within the Western Cape provide a valuable opportunity to understand past social practices during the Later Stone Age. The aim of this dissertation is to specifically study Western Cape LSA burials in such a way as to understand the social and cognitive processes of hunter-gatherers in that region. In order to do this the burials will be approached and studied from a social and cultural perspective. This will include applying a theoretical approach which lends itself to materiality. Certain techniques will be employed to aid the study of this research question, such as a temporal, spatial and structural analysis of the Western Cape burials. Once the temporal analysis is done, certain sections within time can more closely be studied and analysed. The spatial analysis will examine the sites on a regional scale. The interpretative discussion will concentrate on specific patterns and structural aspects of the burials. The above may illuminate a possible array of questions to be asked surrounding the Western Cape burials. This in turn will help in aiding a discussion surrounding the cognitive and social processes of hunter-gatherers in the Western Cape.

Bibliography: pages 171-197. / Avian remains in coastal archaeological samples from Eland's Bay Cave, Die Kelders Cave 1 and Nelson Bay Cave in the Cape Province, South Africa, cover the periods between 80 000 and 40 000 B.P. and 18 000 and 300 B.P. Results of modern comparative surveys indicate that beached birds provide a predictable food supply. Kolmogorov-Smirnov two-sample nonparametric tests confirmed the close resemblance between the relative proportions of seabirds in archaeological and beached assemblages and earlier assumptions that the composition of seabird samples in archaeological sites could not otherwise have been achieved. It is shown that this simple but effective practice has a history going well into the Middle Stone Age. Kolmogorov-Smirnov tests for differences between the relative proportions of skeletal elements of Cape cormorants preserved in archaeological and modern jackal accumulations provided a useful means of drawing attention to possible activity of jackals and/or domesticated dogs. Recognition that diagenesis in some earlier samples may mimic the characteristics of modern jackal samples has established the need to extend the comparison of skeletal elements to additional species and to study the relative durability of avian skeletal elements. Similar comparison with the proportions of modern mammalian and avian predator prey species and size (mass) categories provided no indication that black or martial eagles might have contributed to the samples. Similarly, present knowledge of Cape eagle owls argues against their being likely inhabitants of caves suitable for occupation by people. It is concluded that people were the primary accumulators of the assemblages studied and that the role of small food items in prehistoric subsistence can be addressed with greater confidence. Correspondence analysis was used to determine the existence of seasonality in the modern beached seabird samples. The profiles of the archaeological samples are plotted in relation to months in which they were most likely to have been collected. Seasonal evidence from species not subjected to the correspondence analysis supported these results. The results obtained closely supported the hypothesis for seasonal exploitation of the coast. It was also possible to indicate that visits were probably of short duration and that their timing varied. Exploitation of seabirds did not coincide with the period of maximum availability of beached birds. Comparison of the avian evidence with that from seals, Cape dune mole rats and steenbok/grysbok suggested that small food items comprised part of a seasonal strategy that made maximum use of a range of seasonal resources. Evidence for significant local environmental change in addition to, and in support of, existing information has been obtained. Fluctuations in marine, freshwater and terrestrial birds at Eland's Bay Cave have been related to evidence for changes in terminal Pleistocene and Holocene sea levels and the position of the coast, and in the morphology of Verlorenvlei. At Die Kelders Cave 1 between 80 000 and 40 000 B.P., previously drier conditions were ameliorating and mixed scrub and grass and freshwater existed on the coastal foreland in the vicinity of the cave. Fluctuations in frequencies of seabirds indicate that the sea level rose slightly and then receded during the period of deposition. At Nelson Bay Cave samples indicate the approach of the coast after the Last Glacial Maximum, the disappearance of grassland and its replacement by scrub and bush as significant elements of the vegetation. Freshwater birds did not respond as expected, however, indicating that their interpretation at Nelson Bay Cave is complex and not consistent with evidence for wetter or drier conditions. A possible link has been shown to exist between fluctuations of albatrosses, petrels and shearwaters at Nelson Bay Cave and the intensity of wind patterns which are related to oceanic and atmospheric circulation. Further investigation should establish whether seabirds would provide an index of climatic conditions without support from other sources.