SiteRecordings

The coast round Plettenberg Bay is not only famous for its beautiful scenery and its interesting historical relics but this region is also remarkably rich in archaeological remains left by the prehistoric occupants of the country. The study of such material has enabled scientists to make a considerable contribution to the archaeology of South Africa.

Keurboom Strand lies about eight kilometres east of Plettenberg Bay. From the eastern corner of Read’s camping site a winding footpath runs along the mountain slopes to end abruptly in a cave sixty metres above the Matjes River. This cave is a veritable storehouse of archaeological riches. The late Professor T. F. Dreyer of the University College of the Orange Free State was the first scientist to investigate these deposits. He first made a small test excavation to establish the stratification, but from 1929 he excavated on a much bigger scale. The work was continued from 1952 by the National Museum, Bloemfontein, under the supervision of Dr A. C. Hoffman. Large-scale excavations yielded more than 30 000 archaeological objects and skeletal remains of about two hundred human individuals. The material is preserved in the National Museum; much of it has been described and discussed in a number of scientific publications. The deposits in this cave are remarkably extensive. They are 50 metres long, 14 metres wide and reach a depth of 9 metres. The lowest and oldest layer is dated by radio active carbon determination to 1 000 years before the present. There are four distinct occupation layers, each typified by characteristic Stone Age industries and physical types. The earlier industry, which has been identified as Proto-Smithfield, gradually evolved into an industry characterized by implements of Smithfield-A type
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No other site in the Republic has yielded so many differing physical types associated with their respective industries, and it is this fact that gives the cave its special scientific importance.