Abstract:
Ceramics are an important find for archaeologists because they contain a wealth of information about a site, the inhabitants, and any connections they might have had to the larger cultural landscape. This project aims to study the pottery from two 13th century sites in the Middle Limpopo River Valley on the Klein Bolayi Lodge 20km west of Musina, South Africa. The sites; Evelyn 1 (EV01) and Klein Bolayi (EV02), were excavated by UP Archaeology under Alexander Antonites and Ceri Ashley with initial excavations in 2015 on Evelyn and 2016 on Klein Bolayi. Preliminary radiocarbon dating results show that these two sites were likely inhabited during the TK2 period, with Evelyn (EV01) being a more recent site, and Klein Bolayi (EV02) being the older site of the two. A stylistic analysis of the ceramic assemblages from both sites refines the chronology by cross referencing the radiocarbon dates, giving us a better idea of when these sites may have been occupied. Refining the chronology for these sites will add to the data we have for the Shashe Limpopo Confluence Area and can prove useful for future studies in the area.
Key words: Ceramics, South Africa, Middle Limpopo River Valley, stylistic analysis, Shashe Limpopo Confluence Area, chronology
