Pretoria heritage layers : developing a heritage catalogue for iron age settlements found in the (former) Transvaal

Abstract

The study of heritage has become a distinct research area in the academic world and has a profound influence on society. Over the last century, many organisations have developed charters to aid in the global conservation and protection of heritage resources. Through the use of heritage values developed by these organisations, heritage authorities have the tools to determine the significance of important heritage sites. Organisations, such as UNESCO, have taken these sites and developed a catalogue of heritage resources that can be found on an international scale. The South African Heritage Resource Agency (SAHRA) has followed suit and developed a list of important heritage resources that can be found throughout the country, and that are deemed important at either a national, provincial, or local scale. However, the current list does not contain many of the cultural landscapes that this country encompasses. The Iron Age is a crucial period in South Africa’s historical narrative, and SAHRA’s heritage resource list only contains two of many Iron Age settlements found in the country. This leaves an unfortunate gap in the heritage resource list, which affects the public awareness of these cultural landscapes. In this study, a concise list of Iron Age settlements found in the Transvaal will be established. These sites will be interpreted through the use of a heritage value matrix to determine their cultural significance. Thereafter the sites will be added to data sheets that can be used as the beginning of a concise catalogue containing important heritage resources found in the country.