Heritage Cases

The archaeological fieldwork at Mooifontein is part of a larger project focused on the study and analysis of material culture concerning early Trekboer sites located in the north-eastern Cape and southern Free State. Mooifontein has been identified as one such site and additional complementary sites may be identified through on-going survey work in the area. Collectively these sites contain a material culture sequence from the early 19th century to the mid-20th century and will serve as comparative data with other farming sites such as Welkomskraal, which I studied for my Masters Dissertation, as well as Bulhoek, a trekboer site in the district of Steynsburg, and Leeuspruit, a trekboer site in the Rouxville district. The research is part of a Ph.D. thesis. The proposed fieldwork will mostly focus on the middens, specifically the surface collection of midden material, as well as excavations in the identified middens. Excavations will also be conducted at some structures that may provide more information on the history and layout of the site. The site will also be mapped to determine the layout of the farm to gain a complete picture of the cultural landscape. Collection of the material from the middens and structures will not only help to protect this heritage in a professional manner, but the analysis of the recovered material will also provide a better understanding of the political-economy of this site, as well as other related Trekboer sites. METHODOLOGY TO BE FOLLOWED AND FIELD EQUIPMENT USED The material culture to be studied can only be obtained by conducting excavations at identified sites. It is important that enough material is obtained during this fieldwork for a representative sample of the research area, as well as for comparative purposes. The excavated ceramics, beads etc. will also be compared with similar objects in museum collections, especially the National Museum, Bloemfontein. The findings obtained through analysis of the archaeological artefacts will be combined with historical and archival records, which are anticipated to provide a better understanding of the trekboers and early pioneer farmers and their material culture. Excavation equipment being used include trowels, various brushes, small brooms and dustpans, welding hammers for very hard soil and scraper tools where needed. Other equipment includes tape measures, line levels, sorting trays, sieves and buckets. Shovels may be used for shovel test pits, if there is a need for test pits. A GPS is used to record the position of artefacts, structures etc. A drone will also be used as well as a camera.