A centuries-old Tswana settlement that provides unique insight into tribal custom has been unearthed near the farming town of Brits in North West Province.
The settlement, discovered during the construction of a pipeline to provide water to the people of Mmakau, is located in a rural area at the foot of the Swartkoppies mountain range, 6km from Brits.
The discovery consists of hut floors, layers of ash formed as each generation built successive huts on the same site, and nine graves containing human remains.
Pottery shards found at the site date the settlement back to approximately 1650, says Dr Udo Küsel, spokesperson for African Heritage Consultants, who was brought in to authenticate the settlement.
He says the village was constructed in a circular formation around cattle outposts.
According to Küsel, the entire tribe traditionally lived together caring for the cattle, which the Tswana considered their most important possession.
Küsel explains that the Tswana bury their dead in a sitting position and that in many cases this burial position is an indication of the seniority of the dead tribal member.
With the exception of one, all of the bodies found at the settlement had been buried this way, and Küsel says this means that they could possibly be the remains of senior tribal or family chiefs.
The one body not found in a sitting position had a large rock placed on its chest. Küsel says this was probably a custom observed by the tribe to prevent a person coming back from the dead.
Küsel says another common form of burial was to bury the dead in a crouched position on their side. He says the Tswana did not bury their dead in the normal supine position.
The anatomy department at the University of Pretoria is currently housing the remains found at the settlement until suitable arrangements for reburial can be made in conjunction with local tribal authorities.
The issue of reburial is a contentious one that the tribe will have to reach consensus on.
The Tswana believe that their ancestors are still among us. Andrew Matlau, a tribal councillor, says: “These people are not dead, they see us walking here.”
Matlau explains that the tribal councillors will have to consult the community, but he is adamant that the bodies of the old tribesmen must be buried with their people.
“We want them next to these people … not somewhere, here,” he says, indicating that the remains should be buried in his village.
Küsel admires the settlement’s picturesque surroundings. “It’s the most beautiful setting one could hope for,” he says, pointing to the Swartkoppies mountains.
He adds that a small portion of the site is suitable for reconstruction and development as a tourism attraction.
According to Küsel, the site is invaluable in terms of its educational potential as the Tswana have not built settlements like this since the Lutherans taught them to build square houses.
The huts were made of mud with thatch made from the suikerbos that has now repossessed the area. The only people who still build dwellings like this are the Ndebele. “There is no place like this in this area,” says Küsel. “It has a lot of potential.”
Raymond Motsepe, the mayor of nearby Madibeng, officially unveiled the four-century-old settlement this week, saying that the site had historical significance as well as tourism potential. “The site can be excavated and restored to its former glory in a similar manner to the Thulamela site in the Kruger National Park.”
Motsepe says that local communities have welcomed the discovery of the settlement and hope it will attract visitors and much-needed investment to the area.