The forgotten trails of the Bokoni : Conserving an Abandoned Heritage Landscape in Mpumalanga by Reviving Historic Patterns of Movement

Abstract

Nearly 400 years ago during the Late Iron Age, a farming community called the Koni’s, lived on the escarpment in Mpumalanga who practiced cattle farming and crop cultivation by using stone. They migrated north in a linear direction from the current day towns of Carolina towards Ohrigstad. This community left remarkable stone walls behind that represent farming traditions worthy of being preserved as a World Heritage site. However, their culture and heritage have been abandoned and forgotten by many South Africans since the 1830s. The lack of awareness and protection of the archaeological remnants lead to the destruction and demolition of many stone structures. Today the stone walls remain hidden behind grasses and bounded by private farming properties which fragments this archaeological landscape. In response to these problems, a pilgrimage route is proposed that cuts through private properties which allows for the movement of people and cattle. Movement in this sense refers to historic farming functions such as grazing which will be continued within the pilgrimage route by the community to revive and manage the nominated World Heritage site to become a living heritage. The dissertation aims to showcase how landscape systems such as grazing can manage and revive an abandoned archaeological landscape while creating an opportunity for landscape design interventions.