Sites

Two tracts of field boundary walls run to the east of the Karoopoort farmstead (Figure 7).
These were dry-stone structures built using selected tabular blocks forming two faces and
a core filled with small irregular stones, capped with large tabular blocks (Plates 31a and
31b).

GPS point KRP 3a represents the eastern end of this structure, built adjacent to the base
of the slope forming the NW side of the mountain pass. From there the wall continues in a
west by south-west direction for c. 163m (KRP 3b) and then turns west and continues for
c. 775m to GPS point KRP 3c. Up to this point the wall runs along the north of and parallel
to the fig tree alignment described above and together they represent the tract of the
original wagon route approaching the farmstead from the east. This is also the point where
the single row of fig trees to the east continues as an avenue with two rows of fig trees to
the west, with a gap in the wall probably representing the original entrance from the road
into the farmstead itself. From here the wall and tree alignment diverge, with the wall
continuing to the SW for another 227m to KRP 3d where it turns 90 o NW to meet the
continuation of the avenue and encloses a triangular field to the north of the wall (Figure
7).

From GPS point KRP 3a the dry-stone wall also extends to the NW, running along the
base of the steep hills to the north and passing through point KRP 3e. From here it
continues to the NW with gaps along its tract where the steep escarpment of the hill
served as a continuation of this field boundary. Other tracts of this field boundary were also
observed leading from this escarpment towards the ploughed fields and farmstead to the
SW.

These walls were built to demarcate the overall Karoopoort farmstead. An additional
purpose of these structures would have been to separate ploughed fields used for
agriculture, clearly identified in the aerial photographs (Figure 6), from fields used for stock
grazing and to prevent animals grazing in the former.

(see attached report for figures).