Looking at first-millennium agriculturist ceramic sculpture of the South African eastern seaboard region

Abstract

Southern Africa’s eastern seaboard region abounds in First-Millennium Agriculturist ceramic artefacts. Archaeological records are beginning to show that amongst predominantly utilityware prehistoric ceramics are many freely sculpted works that include fragments of engraved human figurines. Such sculptures offer intriguing palimpsests of deep past southern African lifeways, and in this paper such artefacts are discussed and some interpretations of possible social significances are explored.

‘n ONDERSOEK NA DIE EERSTE-MILLENIUM LANDBOU-KERAMIEKBEELDHOUWERK WAT AAN DIE SUID-AFRIKAANSE OOSTELIKE KUSGEBIED GEVIND IS. Die kusgebied van suidelike Afrika is ryk aan Eerste-Millennium Landbou-keramiekartefakte. Argeologiese data begin daarop dui dat daar tussen die prehistoriese keramiekstukke wat hoofsaaklik gebruiksware was, ook talle vryelik gebeeldhoude werke is, met inbegrip van gefragmenteerde menslike figuurtjies. Sodanige beeldjies bied besonder interessante palmpseste van lewenswyses van vergane tye in suidelike Afrika en word bespreek met die oog op die verklaring van hulle moontlike sosiale betekenis.