Late Iron Age metal working in the Sand River valley, Southern Waterberg: Evidence from Rhenosterkloof 1 and 2.

The Southern Waterberg in northern South Africa is archaeologically rich, especially when it comes to evidence of pre-colonial metal working. Within this large area, the Rooiberg and Boschoffberg valleys enjoyed much of the research attention because most researchers were interested in tin and bronze working. Consequently, areas outside these two areas remained largely unresearched, since they were far away from Rooiberg, the only unequivocal pre-colonial tin mine in southern Africa. With research attention now being placed in the Sand River valley, it is becoming clear that metallurgical evidence in this area is more dense and concentrated when compared to Rooiberg and Boschoffsburg valleys. Preliminary results from Rhenosterkloof 1 and 2 are showing that the Sand River valley has got the potential to contribute to one of the core issues about the Iron Age of Southern African, namely the antiquity of tin and metal specialisation. Optical microscopy and X-Ray fluorescence results of metal working remains are confirming that there is evidence of iron, copper, tin and bronze working. The two techniques are also shedding light on the technology employed in working these metals. Pottery analysis undertaken in conjunction with these technical analyses is revealing evidence of intergroup (Nguni and Sotho-Tswana) interaction. This approach of combining technical and socio-cultural analyses comes from an understanding that the two are closely interlinked. Technology is not mute when it comes to social issues and on the other hand socio-cultural dynamics provide the context within which metal technologies were practiced.