Indigenous Communities - The San (Bushmen)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key facts about the San (Bushmen) from the provided notes.

San (Bushmen)

The earliest known people to live in South Africa; indigenous inhabitants believed to have originated within Southern Africa.

Regions of concentration

Originally scattered across SA but concentrated in Transvaal; Brakenstein; Camdeboo; Winterberg; Transkei; hills of Griqualand West; Drakensberg Ranges.

Height

Short stature, about 1.5m to 1.15m tall.

Skin color

Yellow or brown skin complexion.

Hair type

Kinky hair.

Language feature

Distinctive click sounds in their language.

Late Stone Age

The period to which the San belonged.

Main economic activities

Hunting, gathering, and fishing for survival.

Nomadic lifestyle

Moved from place to place in search of food.

Hunting tools: bow and poisoned arrows

Used bow and poisoned arrows for hunting.

Hunting tools: traps and pits

Used traps and dugout pits filled with pointed spears for large game.

Domesticated animals

Did not keep livestock except dogs, which were used for hunting.

Prey animals hunted

Small animals such as antelopes and hyenas; occasionally buffaloes and elephants.

Gathered foods

Women and children gathered wild fruits (berries and roots), wild honey, insects (grasshoppers, caterpillars, termites), and other edible roots.

Cultivation

Did not and could not cultivate land.

Tracking abilities

Accomplished trackers who could follow the path of wounded animals.