Lecture Notes on South African History

  • Focus of the Lecture

    • Definition of a timeline

    • Historical periods and eras

    • Historian's methods for recording events

    • Cultural insights from South African communities in precolonial/ancient Africa

    • Importance of South African geography for historical research

  • Definitions of History

    • Arthur Marwick: History includes knowledge about the past, alongside its production, communication, and teaching processes.

    • E.R. Carr: History is an ongoing dialogue between historians and their facts, linking the present and the past.

    • Valdosta State University: History is the study of change over time across all aspects of human society, including political, social, and technological dimensions.

  • Understanding Timelines

    • Definition: A graphical representation of a chronological arrangement of events.

    • Timelines help portray both personal and communal histories.

  • Historical Periods in South Africa

    • The major historical periods:

    • Precolonial/Ancient/Pre-capitalist South Africa

    • Colonial South Africa

    • Post-colonial/Modern/Contemporary

    • Possible inclusion of Proto-historical period.

  • Historical Eras

    • Defined as periods characterized by distinct commonalities. Examples:

    • The Cold War Era (1945-1990)

    • The Apartheid Era (1948-1994)

    • Each era shaped by specific events and influential figures.

  • Dating in Timelines

    • BCE: Before Common Era; Christian equivalent: BC (Before Christ)

    • CE: Common Era; Christian equivalent: AD (Anno Domini)

    • Century indication: e.g., 14th century = 1300 CE

    • Millennium is a span of 1000 years, e.g., the 20th century is part of the second millennium.

  • South African Timeline Start

    • Origins trace back to early hominids of Protohistory.

  • Precolonial/Ancient South Africa Overview

    • Early Stone Age: Approx. 3 million years BCE

    • Middle Stone Age: Approx. 300,000 BCE - 28,000 BCE

    • Late Stone Age: Approx. 28,000 - 500 CE; known for rich rock art.

  • Communities in Precolonial/Ancient History

    • First Peoples: San community, known as hunter-gatherers, lived nomadically with unique languages and religious beliefs linking to nature.

    • They expressed their experiences through rock art.

    • Migration of communities from mid-West Africa to South Africa, with pastoralist economic systems.

  • Early Iron Age: 500-1000 CE

    • Continued migrations from mid-Africa; communities primarily known as "Bantu".

    • Economic activities included agro-pastoralism, changing from seasonal to permanent settlements with religious and military systems in place.

  • Late Iron Age (1000 - 1800 CE)

    • Emergence of significant kingdoms:

    • Great Zimbabwe (800-1500 CE)

    • Mapungubwe (1075-1220 CE)

    • Mthethwa, Ndwandwe, and other paramountcies and kingdoms emerged during this period.