Public lecture: Violence and Rock Paintings in the precolonial history of the Cape, South Africa

This is a public lecture, open to all interested parties. It will start at 6.15 and last for approximately 45 minutes, with time for questions afterwards. The lecture will be followed by a wine reception.

Undoubtedly the most significant set of historical events in southernmost Africa prior to the appearance of European colonists was the disruption of hunter gatherer lives by the spread of pastoralism and farming some 2000 years ago. Subsequent relations between hunters, herders and farmers were complex and often, but not always, included tensions and conflict. In the archaeological record of the Western Cape region, these interactions may be reflected in both painted imagery and in direct skeletal evidence of violence. Here I present two examples of apparent conflict that may refer to the difficult juxtaposition of two quite distinct value systems: the sharing ethic of hunters, manifesting as custodianship, and the accumulative ethic of herders, an early form of capitalism.

Attendance is free, but please sign up here to give us an idea of numbers.