Abathwa be-Richtersveld

Ipilo Yokuzuma Kanye Nokubuthelela

©Shem Compion

Kubudisi ukutjho kobana abathwa, bakhule nini baba siqhema esinesiko elihlukileko - abanye bathi kade eminyakeni eyi-40 000 nanyana-30 000 eyadlulako, lokha isomiso esathatha isikhathi eside sahlukanisa abantu encenyeni yetjonalanga ukusukela emihlobeni yama-Negroid esepumalanga. Nanyana kunjalo, abathwa basebenzisa ithekunoloji yakade, ekubalwa abotjhefana kanye namabhoro, ezinengi zazo egade zinamathele engodweni ekwenziwe ngazo imikhonto nanyana imikhwa.

Abathwa batlama zehlalakuhle egade zizombeleza epilweni yabo yokuzuma kanye neyokubuthelela. Njengomthetho, gade kumadoda egade azuma, lokha bafazi gade babuthelela imirabhui, amabheri kanye nezinye iintjalo. Ukuphila kwabo ngezinto ezisebhodulukweni kwenza bona iinqhema zemindenezi zizulazule nenarha yoke zilandelela iinlwane zomango kanye nenkhathi ezithize zonyaka. 

Ama-Petroglyphs

Kwezekolo, abathwa gade bathanda ikolelo ehlanganisa iphasi lemvelo kanye nelezomoya. Lokhu gade bakutjengisa ngemigwalo yabo ehlukahlukeneno, egade ivamise ukutjengisa lokha nabagida bafukwe madlozi. E-Richtersveld, nanyana kunjalo, kusengakabonwa imigwalo esemarholweni le.

Kunalokho, sithola imigwalo ye-petroglyphs – eyenziwe ngokobana kusikwe amatje ngehamura ebukhali. Ama-petroglyphs amahle la atjengisa izinto ezinengi kusukela kuma-geometric pattern kanye nenlwane ezidwetjiweko ezifana namadube kanye nama-eland. Ukufunda kwama-petroglyphs kusathoma begodu ngebhadi, iinarha ezinengi sele zonakele, zoniwe mamayini nanyana zimvakatjhi ezinganandaba. Ubungeno bendawezi obunengi sele buvaliwe ukukhandela bona bangarageli phambili ngokuzona.

Inomboro yabathwa abahlala e-Namaqualand kanye ne-Richtersveld gade izobaphasi. Le kwakuyinarha enesomiso, enemithombo embalwa ethembekileko yamanzi. Itlhagu gade lingcono, nanyana kunjalo kunendawo ezinengi ze-archaeology ezitjengisa isebenzisano hlangana kwabathwa kanye nemithombo yezamanzi efana nama-Seal kanye nama-shellfish. Iinlwane zetlhagwinezi zibizwa bona ma-‘strandlopers’ (abakhambi belwandle) begodu ubufakazi bokobana zikhona zihlala elwandle bubonwa ngendawo ezahlukahlukeneko e-Namaqualand begodu, ngembala nencenyeni ezinengi zeSewula–Africa.

Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana