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Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden
An analysis of the spatial patterning present in the arrangement of material and features at the site of Dunefield Midden, is presented in this thesis. All items from the site are analysed, except the remains of large fauna. The site of Dunefield Midden is situated about two kilometres north of Elan...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Archaeology
2016
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| _version_ | 1867613251432349696 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Reeler, Claire |
| author2 | Parkington, John |
| author_browse | Parkington, John Reeler, Claire |
| author_facet | Parkington, John Reeler, Claire |
| author_sort | Reeler, Claire |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | An analysis of the spatial patterning present in the arrangement of material and features at the site of Dunefield Midden, is presented in this thesis. All items from the site are analysed, except the remains of large fauna. The site of Dunefield Midden is situated about two kilometres north of Eland's Bay on the Cape West coast, South Africa. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the site was occupied about 670 years B.P. The nature of the food remains and artefacts from this site suggests a single occupation, for a limited period, by a group of hunter-gatherers. Features from the site examined in detail include ash features (such as hearths, roasting pits and ash dumps) and dumps (in particular, a feature called the 'main dump'). Comparisons with ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological material are made to aid the process of interpretation. Other features common to ethnographic hunter-gatherer campsites, but for which there is no evidence at Dunefield Midden (such as structures), are discussed. The type of site, possible length of occupation and number of people are discussed from the analysis of features and other material. Suggestions are made that the site was a base camp occupied by between ten and twenty-five people for a month to a month and a half. Finally, conclusions are made about the nature of the behaviours which caused the spatial patterning evident on the site. The level of detail reached in the interpretations of patterning and behaviour is far greater than that possible from more complex, deeply stratified sites. Thus, the value of researching different kinds of sites is shown. The use of a Geographic Information System to analyse information and create distribution maps is unique in spatial archaeological studies. The use of this system shows its value as a new technology of great potential use to all archaeologists. The spatial autocorrelation test of randomness of distributions is also introduced and is compared to other statistical tests used by archaeologists previously. This test is applied to distributions of items from the site, produced with the aid of the Geographic Information System. The use of site indices describes a method of normalising distributions, with the possibility of using satellite technology to analyse these distributions. This thesis, therefore, reaches a deeper level of interpretation of human behaviour at one particular site, than generally has been achieved previously. It also introduces new techniques and technologies particularly suited to this analysis and potentially of use to other archaeologists, even in different fields of study. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/21975 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:33:10.259Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2016 |
| publishDateRange | 2016 |
| publishDateSort | 2016 |
| publisher | Department of Archaeology |
| publisherStr | Department of Archaeology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/21975 Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden Reeler, Claire Parkington, John Archaeology An analysis of the spatial patterning present in the arrangement of material and features at the site of Dunefield Midden, is presented in this thesis. All items from the site are analysed, except the remains of large fauna. The site of Dunefield Midden is situated about two kilometres north of Eland's Bay on the Cape West coast, South Africa. Radiocarbon dates indicate that the site was occupied about 670 years B.P. The nature of the food remains and artefacts from this site suggests a single occupation, for a limited period, by a group of hunter-gatherers. Features from the site examined in detail include ash features (such as hearths, roasting pits and ash dumps) and dumps (in particular, a feature called the 'main dump'). Comparisons with ethnographic and ethnoarchaeological material are made to aid the process of interpretation. Other features common to ethnographic hunter-gatherer campsites, but for which there is no evidence at Dunefield Midden (such as structures), are discussed. The type of site, possible length of occupation and number of people are discussed from the analysis of features and other material. Suggestions are made that the site was a base camp occupied by between ten and twenty-five people for a month to a month and a half. Finally, conclusions are made about the nature of the behaviours which caused the spatial patterning evident on the site. The level of detail reached in the interpretations of patterning and behaviour is far greater than that possible from more complex, deeply stratified sites. Thus, the value of researching different kinds of sites is shown. The use of a Geographic Information System to analyse information and create distribution maps is unique in spatial archaeological studies. The use of this system shows its value as a new technology of great potential use to all archaeologists. The spatial autocorrelation test of randomness of distributions is also introduced and is compared to other statistical tests used by archaeologists previously. This test is applied to distributions of items from the site, produced with the aid of the Geographic Information System. The use of site indices describes a method of normalising distributions, with the possibility of using satellite technology to analyse these distributions. This thesis, therefore, reaches a deeper level of interpretation of human behaviour at one particular site, than generally has been achieved previously. It also introduces new techniques and technologies particularly suited to this analysis and potentially of use to other archaeologists, even in different fields of study. 2016-09-28T19:04:13Z 2016-09-28T19:04:13Z 1992 Master Thesis Masters MA http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21975 eng application/pdf Department of Archaeology Faculty of Science University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Archaeology Reeler, Claire Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden |
| title_full | Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden |
| title_fullStr | Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden |
| title_full_unstemmed | Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden |
| title_short | Spatial patterns and behaviour at Dunefield Midden |
| title_sort | spatial patterns and behaviour at dunefield midden |
| topic | Archaeology |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/21975 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT reelerclaire spatialpatternsandbehaviouratdunefieldmidden |