An Archaeological and Historical Investigation of 20th Century European Mining Activities on the Farm Berkenrode in the Maremani Nature Reserve, Musina, Limpopo, South Africa.

Abstract

Musina (Messina), is a small town in far northern South Africa known for its copper mining history. To date, historical narratives about South African industrialisation, especially with regards to the mining sector, have not paid adequate attention to small scale (artisanal) mining operations. Studies with regards to the life of the mining community itself have also received less attention. This dissertation attempts to tell the story of a small artisanal mining community located on the farm Berkenrode, which was active during the 20th century. Today this farm forms part of the Maremani Nature Reserve (MNR). The mining site is referred to as MNR211. Historical archaeology is used to provide information on social and historical processes of industrialisation at a local scale reconstructing the past mining settlements and their communities on the site. Material culture and architectural evidence is used to distinguish between elements of the domestic and/or the industrial sphere, and explore social distinctions that were present at the site. Studying these small-scale settlements will provide information on past industrial settlements and its activities. In turn the study will also provide a baseline for future work on industrial archaeologies with mining settlements being the main focus, which will add to South African archaeology and history.

Keywords: Artisanal (small-scale) mining, Berkenrode Farm, Diggings, Historical Archaeology, Limpopo, Maremani Nature Reserve, Mining, MNR211, Musina.