{"id":8,"date":"2022-02-28T14:04:48","date_gmt":"2022-02-28T14:04:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/harproject.co.za\/wp\/?page_id=8"},"modified":"2024-01-15T10:06:49","modified_gmt":"2024-01-15T10:06:49","slug":"harp-intro","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/harproject.co.za\/","title":{"rendered":"Hunter-Gatherer Archaeological Research Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Southern Africa\u2019s indigenous forager communities, the ancestors of contemporary San groups, have, more often than not, had their history captured by colonial-era, pejorative characterisations of their culture and community. However, archaeological readings of their pasts provide us with a different perspective. This is more apparent in the middle Limpopo Valley than on most other landscapes because of the complex social developments that took place in the region. Beginning in the first millennium AD, socio-political developments eventually led to the establishment of Mapungubwe, southern Africa\u2019s first state-level society. In the near-on decade of research into these sequences,<\/ins> the presence and role of foragers are seldom mentioned. That their contributions to these societies is hardly recognised disarticulates past and present communities from southern Africa\u2019s history. And yet, through their innovations, technologies, and indigenous knowledges they were able to forge space for themselves within emerging social networks. Through HARP we intend to explore the role of these systems and better understand how foragers, through their own initiatives and skillsets, participated in socio-political and economic entities, empowering themselves and developing status in local hierarchies. Our work’s overarching aim is to address the discord between the inert role ascribed to foragers versus the rich archaeological sequence demonstrating their active participation in growing polities and complex society. From this, we hope a more inclusive history of central southern Africa will be developed that acknowledges the important roles played by indigenous forager communities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See our years in pictures by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t
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harp.roject<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n<\/div>\n\n\t
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tRecently, @tim4sman joined @shemimages and @kylede<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Recently,\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tSome from #teamHARP visited #pilgrim'srest for en <\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Some\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tOur last two #badalbumcover team photos. From July<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Our\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\t@nicolesherwood31 and @tim4sman have published a p<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"@nicolesherwood31\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWe've had a great week in the field. Our final tre<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"We've\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tIt's our first day back to the field. We begin exc<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"It's\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTim and Jaco went to the premier of the #greatafri<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Tim\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tDays 13 to 21: We've just left @krugernationalpark<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Days\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tOur next stop, #Thulamela! Weve stopped in Musina <\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Our\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tDay 12: The sun is just setting on our final day d<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Day\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tDays 6-7: We've had a busy few days. Digging is go<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Days\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tDays 3 and 4: Digging continues. We are working in<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Days\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tDays 1 and 2: We have made our way to the far nort<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Days\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tTomorrow we head back to the field once again! The<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Tomorrow\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\t#badalbumcover: For our last trip, we had one or t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"#badalbumcover:\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tToday some of the #HARP team visited @ditsongmuseu<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Today\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tMembers of TEAM #HARP introduced a Grade R group f<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Members\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tOne of the more unusual finds from our #pafuri sur<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"One\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tWe spent a week at #pafuri exploring the archaeolo<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"We\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>
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\n\t\t\n\t\t\tDay 3: Roaming sentinels of the landscape, elephan<\/span>\n\t\t\t\n <\/path>\n <\/svg>\t\t\t\t\t\t\"Day\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\t<\/div>\n\n\t
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