FIRST PEOPLE’S INTERPRETING OF EARTH: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD AND MYTH AND CREATION STORIES OF THE SAN
By:
PROF JOHN COMPTON
Date:
Tue, 09/04/2024 - 18:30 to 19:30
Venue:
SA Astronomical Observatory auditorium
Branch:
Western Cape
TUESDAY 9 APRIL: 18:00 FOR 18:30 in the SAAO AUDITORIUM, OBSERVATORY
ABSTRACT: There is little direct record of what San hunter-gatherers of southern Africa thought about Earth and the environments in which they lived. We know from the archaeological record that they made wide use of earth materials: various types of stones for points and scrapers, stones for grinding and for digging sticks; ochre for rock art, mastic, and sunscreen; and rock gongs for percussion music. We also have historical records of their myth and creation stories from the 19th century. They had a keen awareness of the environment as reflected in their stories. In this talk I will explore the animist world view of the San and how they used it to interpret their surroundings from the night sky to sources of water, so critical to their survival. I will also speculate on how they may have viewed and related to Table Mountain (Hoerikwaggo: ‘mountain rising out of the sea’).
SPEAKER: PROF JOHN COMPTON
TITLE: “FIRST PEOPLE’S INTERPRETING OF EARTH: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD AND MYTH AND CREATION STORIES OF THE SAN”
ABSTRACT: There is little direct record of what San hunter-gatherers of southern Africa thought about Earth and the environments in which they lived. We know from the archaeological record that they made wide use of earth materials: various types of stones for points and scrapers, stones for grinding and for digging sticks; ochre for rock art, mastic, and sunscreen; and rock gongs for percussion music. We also have historical records of their myth and creation stories from the 19th century. They had a keen awareness of the environment as reflected in their stories. In this talk I will explore the animist world view of the San and how they used it to interpret their surroundings from the night sky to sources of water, so critical to their survival. I will also speculate on how they may have viewed and related to Table Mountain (Hoerikwaggo: ‘mountain rising out of the sea’).
BIO: John S. Compton is Emeritus Associate Professor in the Department of Geological Sciences at the University of Cape Town. He received his bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego, in 1981 and his PhD from Harvard University in 1986. Over the last 30 years he has worked with students and colleagues on many different aspects of the local geology. He established Earthspun Books in 2016 to publish popular science books on the natural history of the region. Check out his latest book Interpreting Earth, A History of Geology through Encounters with Table Mountain, along with other titles on his website www.johnscompton.com