Journalists experience Kruger’s rich archaeological history

As part of celebrating Tourism Month, journalists from various media houses in the country had the privilege of being invited to be part of the media excursion to explore this historic park.

The two-million-hectare park is home to a variety of species and prides itself on its many cultural heritage sites. Despite having well over 255 recorded archaeological sites, the Kruger National Park (KNP) has a unique cultural and historical landscape and diversity.

During the visit, the journalists had the chance to explore the Letaba region in the north of the park, close to the Phalaborwa Gate, one of the park’s many entrances.
Letaba is a malaria-prone area, so they had to take necessary precautions before going.

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They discovered at the archaeological site that the KNP is home to more than just wildlife. It has a number of sites connected to various historical periods, including the Iron Age, the Bushmen and the liberation struggle.

They went to the newly found Letaba archaeological site along the Letaba River. It has artefacts that date back to 1 000 and 1 500 years ago, according to an archaeologist from the University of Pretoria, Dr Xander Antonites.
He explained that there is evidence that suggests that the inhabitants of the park used to trade with the Arabs and the Portuguese, and the river was their trade route, which made it easy for them to travel.

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“Unknown inhabitants, who may have traded in horns and the tusks of huge animals, were in the area between 1400 and 1600. We have discovered fragments of wooden spears that were likely poisoned and used to kill huge animals for their horns and tusks.

We think the inhabitants also traded in precious goods, notably those from eastern regions of the world, like glaze ceramics and glass beads. The Letaba River is significant, as it is a route for trade, and 250km away you find the Indian Ocean,” said Antonites.

Clay pots, mud lapas and animal bones were found, which provided evidence of the area’s population density. Unfortunately, the language of the people who lived there could not be ascertained from the excavation of artefacts.

An initiative to save and lessen damage to the significant archaeological site and educate the public about its history and significance has been launched by archaeologists and SANParks.

The journalists saw an elephant uprooting a tree. The field ranger explained how the roots had nutrients the elephant wanted.