Abstract:
Vryheid (MNR04) is a small, isolated Late Iron Age homestead dated
between the 18th and 19th centuries, located in northern South Africa.
During excavations in 2014, a carved ivory artefact was exposed on
the floor of a burnt-down hut. Because the item was extremely
fragmented and fragile, but also a rare local example of carved ivory,
directed conservation steps were implemented to reconstruct and
conserve it. Microscopy, microtomography and X-ray diffraction
analyses were conducted to determine the species of ivory. The results
show that it was likely made from the lower incisor of a hippopotamus
(Hippopotamus amphibius). Comparisons with ethnographic
objects from the region suggest that the artefact could have been a
pommel or decorative knob on the sheath of a ceremonial knife. The fire
that consumed the hut seems to have been a sudden event since several
valuable objects – in addition to more mundane ones – were still inside
the hut when it burned down. This allows us to interpret the ivory
object in relation to its multiple contexts. By adopting a ‘relational
biography’ approach (Joy 2009), this article draws together evidence
from diverse sources to bring ‘drama’ to our understanding of the
object, and helps situate it within its specific social, economic and
material nexus.
