Animal diversity and procurement strategies at Schroda, Limpopo Valley, South Africa
Koedoe - African Protected Area Conservation and Science
| Field | Value | |
| Title | Animal diversity and procurement strategies at Schroda, Limpopo Valley, South Africa | |
| Creator | Antonites, Annie R. | |
| Description | This article presents a broad overview of excavated animal taxa and methods of procurement at the Middle Iron Age site of Schroda (AD 900–1100), located in the Mapungubwe National Park. Here, a diverse animal resource base was exploited through various strategies – some of which drew on individual participation, while others relied on group effort and resource pooling. Cattle, sheep and goat herds provided a reliable supply of meat, milk and skins throughout the year, while a range of wild mammals, birds, reptiles and fish were also hunted, trapped and collected. Although procurement strategies and animals targeted generally remained unchanged for about 200 years, there is a small shift in the proportion of livestock relative to other animals and a related increase in the exploitation of wild animals. Reliance on a broad spectrum of subsistence strategies is often done as a risk management strategy in areas with unpredictable environmental conditions. Erratic rainfall patterns, evident at the end of the first millennium in the middle Limpopo Valley, would have necessitated such an approach. In addition, the updated taxonomic list for Schroda provides a deep-time record of animal presence and expands the former distribution ranges for some taxa in the Mapungubwe National Park area. | |
| Publisher | AOSIS | |
| Date | 2024-08-30 | |
| Identifier | 10.4102/koedoe.v66i2.1790 | |
| Source | Koedoe; Vol 66, No 2 (2024); 13 pages 2071-0771 0075-6458 | |
| Language | eng | |
| Relation |
The following web links (URLs) may trigger a file download or direct you to an alternative webpage to gain access to a publication file format of the published article:
https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1790/3337
https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1790/3338
https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1790/3339
https://koedoe.co.za/index.php/koedoe/article/view/1790/3340
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