The primary aim of this study was to determine who claims the corbelled buildings in the
Karoo as their heritage and why. Through the use of vernacular architecture and heritage
identification theory, interviews and research it is clear that the buildings are significant and
a heritage resource. Their significance lies in their historical, social, aesthetic, symbolic and
cultural values, as well as their unique vernacular construction and limited distribution. The
corbelled buildings as vernacular buildings are part of the natural landscape which the local
community associate as part of their identity and heritage.
The buildings also possess academic and historical potential as they have the potential
through further archaeological and vernacular architectural research, to provide more
information on the northern frontier during the late 18th and early 19th centuries, a time that
is not well recorded or documented.
The buildings were built in 19th century along the ‘open’ northern frontier where there was
intermingling and creolisation of people from different economic and social groups. As a
result, they cannot be claimed by a single group of people in the present. The vast range in
types and styles of corbelled buildings indicate that they were built by most people living in
the area. They can therefore, be claimed by everyone who lives in the area today. They can
also be claimed as national heritage as they possess values that are common to the whole
country.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:uct/oai:localhost:11427/30195 |
| Date | January 2018 |
| Creators | Hancock, Caroline |
| Contributors | Townsend, Stephen |
| Publisher | University of Cape Town, Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, Conservation of the Built Environment |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis, MPhil |
| Format | application/pdf |
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