Sites

Extensive scatters of relatively well preserved shell midden remains, with stone tools, ostrich eggshell and some tortoise bone were located on the steep, west facing, well vegetated slopes of the fossil dunes overlooking the Langebaan Lagoon . These fossil dunes (or aeolianites) are also littered with loose calcrete nodules and several flat outcroppings of calcrete on the upper slopes. Shellfish remains are very visible in open patches on the mid-lower slopes, sometimes spilling over the edge of the cliffs down onto the beach. The shellfish does not only appear to be confined to the surface, however, and several dense patches of in-situ shell midden deposits also seem to occur, most noticeably where erosion on the cliff edge has taken place. Shellfish remains are visible all along the cliff face, extending beyond the main boardwalk leading down to the beach at Kraalbaai, where it appears to thin out considerably. The shellfish is dominated by Scutellastra and Cymbula sp. with some Black Mussel (Choromytilus meridionalis) and whelk also occurring. Some whole shell and larger fragments of the above species also occur. The marine shellfish on Kraalbaai 1 and the other sites described below has quite obviously been transported to the site from some distance, the coast being about 1.5 kms away. With regard to cultural items, stone tools, including modified and unmodified flakes, bladelets, chunks, small round cores, one small thumbnail scraper, several hammer stones, one upper grindstone and one anvil, in quartzite, indurated shale, calcrete, silcrete and quartz were counted. Stone tools densities are relatively low, however. Some ostrich eggshell was also noted, as were two weathered White Sand Mussel (Donax Serra) scrapers. No pottery was found on the site. The archaeological heritage remains in Kraalbaai 1 have, unfortunately, been partially damaged and disturbed as a result of visitors using informal tracks down to the beach and, related processes such as erosion. Overall, the archaeological sites are relatively well protected, however.