Term 1: Test 1 Flashcards
How did people in South Africa first survive?
People in South Africa first lived by:
Hunting
Fishing
Gathering
What did people of South Africa first gather?
Roots
Berries
Fruit
Honey
What are people called, that hunt and gather?
Hunter-gatherer
Later some people learned how to become farmers, what were they called?
Herders
What did herders herd?
Cattle
Sheep
What are the Hunter-Gatherers of Southern Africa called?
The San
How did we find out about Hunter-Gatherers that lived thousands of years ago?
Stories and objects
Name some of the objects or ways that help us know more about Hunter Gatherers
Arrows Archaeologists Books Digging sticks Observing living societies Rock Paintings Remains of ancient fireplaces
Explain some of the objects that tell us about Hunter-Gatheres
Arrows - They made sharp pieces of stone to cut things. Some pieces were chipped to make a sharp point. These were fastened to thin sticks to make an arrow.
Archaeologists
Books
Digging sticks - San women sharpened sticks to dig for roots. They made holes in stones and fastened them to sticks to dig more easily
Observing living societies - Some San remain in the Kalahari. People visit them to take photographs
Rock Paintings - The San painted on the walls of their caves. The paintings how us how they lived, what they believed and how they healed the sick.
Remains of ancient fireplaces - In each camp was only a few fireplaces. This tells us that only a few families lived together in a community.
How many people lived in a San community?
3 or 4 families
10 to 20 people
Why did the San live in small communities?
There would not be enough food to support large communities.
Did the San use us all the food in the same place?
NO, they were conservationists. They knew the plants would have to increase again the following year.
How did Hunter-Gatherers near the coast live?
They camped near fresh water and collected shellfish.
Explain San hunting
Very old rock paintings tell us that the San hunter with bow and arrow.
Where did the San keep their arrows?
In a Quiver
Where did the San get poison for their arrows?
Plants
snakes
larvae
It could take up a day for the animal to die
Explain San Social Organisation
Everybody was equal. No rich or poor. No chief or leader
Shared meat around a fire, danced and told stories.
Sharing was important. If a group killed an animal, they would all help cut it up.
Children were taught to live peacefully.
How did the San get medicine?
The hoodia Plant.This plant is used nowadays for pills to help people loose weight.
Explain San beliefs and religion
They believed humans could enter the spirit world. They could capture the spirit power of the animal to cure illness, bring rain and animals to hunt.
What was the name of the person who entered the spirit world?
The Shaman
Tell us more about the Shaman
They believed the Eland had the most power. They believed the Shaman used the Eland’s power to cure illness or bring animals to hunt. Also to bring rain.
What country has the most and oldest rock art?
South Africa.
The San lived all over Southern Africa. Their ancient beautiful paintings are found on the walls of caves and rocks.
Where is the oldest painting found?
South Africa from 27 000 years ago
What is most San art about?
Religious art expressing their beliefs about human and animal spirits.
What does the South African Coat of Arms look like?
It contains two figures of people to recognise the first people to live in Southern Africa
What is a historian?
A person that studies history
What is a chiefdom?
Area of land that is ruled by a chief
What is a homestead?
The home of a family
What are rituals?
Ceremonies that are always done in the same way
What is conflict?
A fight or an argument
What is lineage?
An individual’s children
What is a clan?
A group of families that are related to one another
What is initiation?
Allowing someone to become a member of a group
What is economic?
Connected to the way people spend money and trade
What is a ceremony?
A formal event
What is communal activity?
Activities shared by the group.
What are beaters?
Hunters beat on a drum to create noise and scare animals.
What does Khoikhoi mean?
Men of Men
What did the KhoiKhoi do for food?
Hunting, gathering but mainly herding. Milk and meat was their most important food. Sheep and skin for clothing.
How did the Khoikhoi live?
Their homes were easy to move from one place to another.
Frame of sticks, used reeds and animal skins to cover framework.
Floors were smeared with a mixture of cowdung and blood.
Kraals were surrounded by a hedge. In the middle was a large space for animals to sleep.
How did the Khoikhoi make decisions about the pastures?
The chief and headman met. The Chief lead the groups in conflict.
Who did the Khoikhoi trade with?
San and african farmers.
The click sound comes from the san language.
Explain early farming in south africa.
3000 years ago people began to grow crops. Every few years the farmers would move because the crops would take the goodness out the soil. They moved further south
What did early african farmers farm?
Herded sheep and cattle Grew millet and sorghum Made pottery Some were ironworkers Traded in ivory
Name and explain one of the early kingdoms in africa?
Mapungubwe in Limpopo. It was wealthy and powerful in the early 1200’s
Where did early farmers settle in South Africa
First settled between the Drakensberg mountains and the east coast of South Africa.
How did early farmers settle in South Africa?
Cleared land for planting crops cut down trees, bushes and burnt grass Cattle - for meat, milk and clothing Hunting for extra meat Worked iron and made pottery
How did early african farmers live?
Homestead - small settlement. A number of huts in a circle around a cattle kraal..
What food did early African farmers eat?
Cattle, sheep and hunted game
Harvested grain which they stored underground in clay.
What tools did early African farmers use?
Farmers used iron tools. Most people traded for iron tools like
hoes and axes
Explain hunter-gatherer communities and farming communities
Everyone has rights to the products of the land. THis could be the food gathered by women or game hunted by men and water.
Everyone could graze their cattle and plant crops.
Why were the san hunter-gatherers respected by early farming communities?
They believed the San had special powers to make rain. Sometimes farmers would ask the San to perform rain making rituals.
What caused conflict between the early farmers and the san?
When farming communities grew bigger they needed large areas of land for their cattle. THey started moving onto the San’s land.
What is Khoisan
When san or early farmers married the khoi
Who was head of the homestead in Early Farmers?
Senior Male
What is lineage?
Groups of families were related through a common ancestor
What is a clan?
All people belonged to a clan.It was formed by a number of lineages which shared a clan name because they believed the came from the same ancestors.
What is a village?
A collection of homesteads.
What did the elders control?
Cattle and they helped the chief
How were teenagers initiated?
Boys - were given knowledge about becoming a good leader.
Girls - were taught roles of women.
Both were taught respect and self-discipline
They could now own property like cattle. Cattle were useful for marriage
What was iron and copper used for?
Tools - hoes and axes
hunting
paying taxes
bride wealth
Why were cattle the wealth of the homestead and what were they used for?
More cattle means more: milk, food, skin Used for marriage gifts Trade taxes Starting homesteads Sacrifice
What was copper used for:
Copper is not as strong as iron. used for:
arm bands
necklaces
earrings
