Letaba team
15 Mar 2025
Early Iron Age animal resources and trade in the Kruger National Park
New research at an Early Iron Age settlement in the Kruger National Park has revealed the existence of a trade-hub in the interior. The site, located on the banks of the Letaba River, first came to archaeologists’ attention in the 1980s but its significance was only realised during renewed excavations that started in 2021.
Several interesting finds were recovered during four field seasons, which show that this site is one of the earliest in the southern African interior with trade links to the East African coast, and the Indian Ocean World at large. Imported glass trade beads as well as pieces of pottery from the Near East, suggest that the Letaba community participated in coastal trade networks from at least the 8th or 9th centuries AD. There is also evidence for local cotton spinning and metalworking.
Careful study of the hundreds of kilograms of excavated bone refuse shows specialised hunting of large game such as giraffe, buffalo, zebra and blue wildebeest. The skins and meat of these animals were probably traded along local and coastal networks. In this talk, Annie Antonites will discuss the faunal data and its implications for understanding the development of early international trade links between Africa and the larger Indian Ocean World.
20 March 2025, 18h00
Ditsong National Museum of Natural History, 432 Paul Kruger Street, Pretoria.
Free and secure parking through the Minnaar Street entrance.
Complimentary behind-the-scenes tour of the Archaeozoolgy Section at 17h00.
For more info and to RSVP, contact tebogop@ditsong.org.za or info@ditsong.org.za