Anthropomorphic clay figurines from Early and Middle Iron Age sites in South Africa

Abstract

This collections-based research project focuses on anthropomorphic clay figurines from archaeological sites in South Africa dating to the 1st and 2nd millennium AD. These archaeological sites were occupied by Iron Age farming communities in the Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal and the Shashe-Limpopo Confluence Area in the Limpopo province of South Africa. The figurines in the collections of various museums were classified using modal analysis, and a basic catalogue was compiled. The study further explores archaeological context and ethnography as potential sources to better understand the role of figurines in rituals and everyday life. Further, the decoration patterns on the figurines are examined with reference to the practice of scarification in historical and modern societies. This study has shown that, in whatever context they are used, anthropomorphic figurines convey ideas through embellishment and form. An embodiment perspective is used to investigate the close relationship between figurines and women in these Iron Age communities.

Hierdie versamelingsgebaseerde navorsingsprojek fokus op antropomorfiese kleibeeldjies van argeologiese terreine in Suid-Afrika wat dateer van die 1ste en die 2de millennium nC. Hierdie argeologiese terreine is bewoon deur Ystertydperk-boerderygemeenskappe in die Oos-Kaap, KwaZulu-Natal en die Shashe-Limpopo Samevloeiingsgebied in die Limpopo-provinsie van Suid-Afrika. Hierdie beeldjies in die versamelings van verskillende museums is met behulp van modale ontleding geklassifiseer en 'n basiese katalogus is saamgestel. Die studie ondersoek ook die argeologiese konteks en etnografie as potensiële bronne om die rol van beeldjies in rituele en die alledaagse lewe beter te verstaan. Verder word die versieringspatrone op die beeldjies bestudeer met verwysing na die praktyk van inkerwing in historiese en moderne samelewings. Hierdie studie het getoon dat antropomorfiese beeldjies, in watter konteks dit ook al gebruik word, idees oordra deur versiering en vorm. ’n Verpersoonlikingsperspektief word gebruik om die noue verband tussen beeldjies en vroue in hierdie ystertydperkgemeenskappe te ondersoek.

Thandela heyi ya ṱhoḓisiso yo ḓisendekaho nga khuvhanganyo yo sedza kha zwiṱetshu zwa vumba zwi re na zwiṱaluli zwa vhathu kha vhupo ha vhufukumarubi ha Afrika Tshipembe u bva miṅwaha ya gidi AD ya u thoma na ya vhuvhili. Vhupo ha vhufukumarubi uvhu ho vha hu tshi dzula zwitshavha zwa vhulimivhufuwi ha Iron Age ngei Eastern Cape, KwaZulu-Natal na Vhupo ha Shashe-Limpopo Confluence vunduni ḽa Limpopo Afrika Tshipembe. Zwiṱetshu zwo kuvhanganyiwaho miziamu yo fhambanaho zwo khethekanywa hu tshi khou shumiswa musaukanyo wa zwiṱaluli zwine zwa shanduka, ha bveledzwa khathalogo ya mutheo. Ngudo yo bvela phanḓa na u wanulusa nyimele dza vhufukumarubi na ḓivhamirafho sa zwiko zwa ndeme zwa u pfesesa khwine mishumo ya zwiṱetshu kha nyitelatherelo na vhutshilo ha ḓuvha na ḓuvha. Hu tshi iswa phanḓa, phatheni dza u khavhisa kha zwiṱetshu dzi ṱolwa hu tshi livhiswa kha maitele a tshiṱhavhelo kha zwitshavha zwa kale na zwazwino. Ngudo heyi yo sumbedza uri, hu nga vha kha nyimele ifhio zwe zwa shumiselwa yone, zwiṱetshu zwi re na zwiṱaluli zwa zwivhumbeo zwa vhathu u fhirisa mihumbulo nga kha u sumbedzisa na nga tshivhumbeo. Mbonalo ya u sumbedzisa i shumiselwa u ṱoḓisisa vhushaka ha tsini vhukati ha zwiṱetshu na vhafumakadzi kha zwitshavha izwi zwa Iron Age.