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TRANSVAAL ROAD
Skeletons in Transvaal Road : Press Release (26 May 2004)
Archaeologists have been salvaging human remains in Transvaal Road after the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) ruled a week and a half ago that they be rescued.
When human skeletal material was discovered at 78 Transvaal Road, on 22 April, the first burial was treated by the South African Police Services as a crime site, and the human remains were removed. During exhumation it became apparent that the grave was old and might form part of an old forgotten burial ground. This seemed confirmed when a second burial was found three days later. Work on the trench in which they were found was stopped.
Because the remains are older than 60 years and fall outside a demarcated cemetery, they are subject to the provisions of the National Heritage Resources Act. Members of the public who wish to comment on any aspect of this matter are invited to do so before the end of July. Notices to this effect, with contact details, have been put up at the site in the four official languages of the province.
It is now established that between the first and second burials there is at least a third and possibly more graves. There is now also both archaeological evidence and information from the public confirming that skeletons have been encountered in the area in the past. The graves, dug into a layer of calcrete just beneath the veneer of red sand, are remarkably shallow. Houses had been built on top of them about a century ago.
The Diamond News of 29 March 1879 reports on a burial ground in this area in which the dead were being buried at a rate of about 600 per annum for possibly just less than a decade. A sanitary inspection revealed that the graves in this "native burial ground" (north of what is now called the Pioneers' Cemetery) were "of a depth totally inadequate", some as little as two feet deep, and they were often only 6 to 8 inches apart. It was recommended that a new burial ground be found "for the native population". Burials subsequently took place at a spot which in 1883 was officially proclaimed as the new Gladstone Cemetery.
The archaeological evidence thus far suggests that the skeletons found in Transvaal Road indeed relate to this 1870s burial ground.
David Morris
26 May 2004
Transvaal Road burials: public meeting to be held on Wednesday 14 July 2004
Press release
Early Kimberley burials accidentally disturbed during building operations in Transvaal Road in April have been exhumed by the McGregor Museum archaeology department, in accordance with legislative requirements. Museum staff, David Morris, head of archaeology, and Vincent Dinku, were assisted by trained community-based fieldworkers Petrus Wilson, Roger Bosch, Jane Joubert and Sandra Dodd. A public meeting is to be held this coming Wednesday afternoon at 5-30 pm at the William Pescod High School Hall in Church Street, Kimberley, where a report on findings will be given, and community input on a way forward will be sought.
When the first grave at the site was encountered in April it was treated as a crime scene, but since then a further three graves have been found which are clearly part of an 1870s Black burial ground which is referred to in archival records from the first decade of Kimberley's existence. The archaeological work at the site has also confirmed local testimony that graves had been found in the vicinity in the past. Two of the four graves had been disturbed previously, one of them during the installation of sewerage pipes, probably some decades ago. Responsible for the costs, the developer has also experienced unanticipated delays, but hopes to be issued with a permit to proceed soon. There are currently no funding provisions for the remainder of the investigation, public consultation, and re-interment.
A parking area is to be built over the site where the graves were found. It is likely that further graves exist there, but it is believed that these would not be adversely impacted by the development. Nevertheless, public opinion on this will be considered by the South African Heritage Resources Agency before the permit is issued for the parking area to be developed. In future any development in this part of town will be preceded by an impact assessment, and monitored, so that human remains are not damaged. In 1878-9 alone about 600 people were buried in the area, so that the total number of burials here, which potentially span much of Kimberley's first decade, could number as many as four to five thousand graves.
It is also hoped at the public meeting to gauge the feelings of the community on where and how the remains should be reburied, and remembered. Recently Sport Arts and Culture MEC M.T. Madikane gave the assurance that "once research has been completed these pioneers of Kimberley will be laid to rest with dignity and respect." The human remains from Transvaal Road are believed to represent individuals from the first generation of Black migrant workers on the Diamond Fields.
Transvaal Road burials: report on a public meeting held on Wednesday 14 July 2004, at 5-30 p.m., at the William Pescod High School Hall, Church Street, Kimberley
Legislative requirements following the accidental disturbance of human remains at a property in Transvaal Road included rescue of the remains in question and a community consultation process on the way forward both at the burial site and with respect to the bones that were rescued. Four graves have been investigated at the site. A public meeting was convened at the William Pescod High School Hall last night to negotiate a way forward for the developer, who wishes to put a concrete surface over the site as a parking area outside his wholesale outlet. It was hoped also to discuss a dignified and respectful laying to rest for the remains that were rescued, and appropriate memorialisation. Planning authorities needed to be aware that the surrounding area was now known to be an 1870s black burial ground, and impact assessments were needed ahead of any development there.
McGregor Museum archaeologist and permit holder, David Morris, gave an overview of the legislation and the rescue as it had unfolded. He pointed out the difficulties and unanticipated delays that could be faced by a developer when a find such as this is made. Moreover, current legislation and practice puts the onus on the developer to provide for the investigation, public process, and re-interment. Mr Morris proposed that now that those remains that had been disturbed had been rescued, the developer might be allowed to develop the parking area, which would be carried out in terms of conditions in a permit issued by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) in Cape Town. It was believed that this should not have an adverse impact on any further human remains that may lie beneath the surface.
Members of the community believed that before such a parking area could be built, however, the entire apron area in front of the building should be checked and any further human remains rescued. The counter proposal was made by Clr Zak Debedu and seconded by Mr Barend van Wyk. Clr Debedu pointed out that the intention was not to obstruct development but to ensure compliance with the Act and to treat human remains with sensitivity. He also questioned whether the developer had sought a permit for demolition of two houses that were more than sixty years old. Mr van Wyk added that as long as any human remains might lie beneath the parking area it would be a sacred site. Clr Nkomo proposed that a follow-up meeting was required, while a task team including Messrs Debedu and van Wyk, town planning officials, and heritage authorities should meet with the developer to decide on how to proceed. It was suggested that the Provincial Portfolio Committee for Arts and Culture might be approached to facilitate a further public hearing.
The outcome of the meeting would be conveyed to SAHRA.
Members of the public attending the meeting signed a petition of support for the area of the historic black burial ground to be declared a provincial heritage area, which will ensure that any future development involves adequate impact assessment and monitoring.
David Morris
15 July 2004
Planned public meeting (postponed), William Pescod High School, 21 July 2004
Nineteen people gathered for a public consultation meeting at 17:30 on 21 July, following an appeal for a further hearing at the previous meeting of 14 July. But those people who were not officials were members of the public who had been at the previous meeting. Despite wide media coverage, including local community radio, the planned meeting had failed to attract broader community representation. Mr Justice Bekebeke, of the IEC, and Chairperson of the Northern Cape Provincial Heritage Resources Agency Council, who was to have chaired the meeting, had conferred with the Speaker, Sol Plaatje Municipality, and heritage officials, and announced that the meeting was being postponed until Monday 26 July.
The question of a way forward in relation to the disturbed graves at 78 Transvaal Road - which requires to be addressed in a public forum from which recommendations would be forwarded to SAHRA - thus remains unresolved.
DM 21 July 2004
RESOLUTION REACHED RESPECTING BURIALS
Report on a public meeting on human remains found at 78 Transvaal Road, held on Monday 26 July 2004, at 5-30 p.m., at the William Pescod High School Hall, Church Street, Kimberley
Resolution was reached at a meeting concerning the future of human remains found at 78 Transvaal Road, Kimberley, and on a way forward for the developer.
Legislative requirements following the accidental disturbance of human remains included rescue of the remains, and a community consultation process. Four graves had been investigated at the site, and the remains needed to be reburied.
A third public meeting was convened at the William Pescod High School Hall on 26 July, when some 50 people gathered to negotiate a way forward for the developer, who wishes to put a concrete surface over the site as a parking area outside his wholesale outlet. The dignified and respectful laying to rest for the rescued remains was also discussed. In addition, it was unanimously agreed that the area of the 1870s black burial ground in Kimberley North needs to be declared as a heritage area where impact assessments should precede all future development projects.
The meeting was convened and chaired by Mr Justice Bekebeke, of the IEC, and chairperson of the Northern Cape PHRA Council (Provincial Heritage Resources Agency). McGregor Museum archaeologist and permit holder, Mr David Morris, gave an overview of the legislation and the rescue as it had unfolded. He pointed out the difficulties and unanticipated delays that may be faced by a developer when a find such as this is made. But human remains needed to be treated with the greatest sensitivity and respect, and this was now provided for by way of new legislation. A key feature was community consultation.
It was believed that paving over the site where the human remains had been found and rescued would not adversely impact any further remains that may lie beneath the surface in the vicinity, and in view of this it had been suggested that the developer might be allowed to develop the parking area. This would have to be carried out in terms of conditions in a permit issued by the South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) in Cape Town.
Members of the community reconsidered previous misgivings over this proposal. Speaker of the Sol Plaatje City Council, Clr P. Mlambo spoke on the need to facilitate development while treating human remains with sensitivity. Clr Z. Debedu said that what was important was to set in place mechanisms to minimize future possible impacts on graves in the area. Community members said they valued the opportunity to comment and hoped for more regular consultation, not just when problems arose. It was also proposed that when a heritage area is defined, the community should have a part in giving it a name.
Pastor Mokallee of the Moral Regeneration Movement, and two traditional healers, addressed the meeting, while Clr Mlambo introduced plans regarding the reburial of remains from Greenpoint which were accidentally disturbed during a development project in 1995. That ceremony may take place on Heritage Day, 24 September. The human remains from the Gladstone Cemetery and Transvaal Road would also be re-interred once their forensic investigation has been completed. In each case appropriate rites would be observed.
David Morris
26 July 2004
ALEXANDERSFONTEIN
Accidental disturbance of human remains at Alexandersfontein : Press Release (April 2004)
Development work for sewerage at Alexandersfontein has accidentally disturbed 20 unmarked graves that lay beneath a trackway adjacent to housing near the Jack Hindon Officers' Mess. Nearby there is a small un-demarcated burial ground. There are no headstones. At this point it is not known who was buried there and when. As the graves appear to be older than 60 years and lie outside a demarcated cemetery, they are subject to the provisions of the National Heritage Resources Act. A permit is being sought from the South African Heritage Resources Agency to carry out an archaeological and forensic anthropological investigation to try to determine the nature of the graves. Bones recovered from the side of the trench include those of a child and of adult males and females. It is possible that the graves relate to small holdings in the vicinity in the early twentieth century. Anyone who has information on these graves is asked to contact the Archaeology Department at the McGregor Museum. The museum will be coordinating a public consultation process. It would need to be decided where the remains should be re-interred, although reburial in the adjacent cemetery would be an obvious option. Community members are assisting with the investigation.
David Morris, April 2004
Report on a public meeting at Alexandersfontein (8 July 2004)
At a public meeting held at the Dutch Reformed Church in Alexandersfontein on 8 July 2004, Archaeologist Elizabeth Voigt, Research Associate of the McGregor Museum, summarized findings thus far at the Alexandersfontein graves which had been damaged accidentally by trenching.
Initial inspection in March 2004 revealed 20 graves which had been truncated by the trench. Subsequent 'matching' reduced the final number of graves to 14.
Archaeological investigation was being conducted under the auspices of the McGregor Museum by a professional archaeologist assisted by a team of community workers who had been previously trained. The project therefore had a skills development and job creation aspect. Certificates were handed to community workers at the meeting.
The investigation involved three concurrent activities: recording and excavation of graves; screening of dumps of material removed from the trench; and investigation of adjacent cairns and other traces to identify the edge of the burial ground. A final phase of fieldwork will be the recording of the adjacent burial ground, while archival work has yet to be completed to determine whether any record exists for this cemetery.
By 8 July the last of the graves was being excavated, while a total of 9 complete and 6 incomplete skeletons have been rescued. Seven were infants. Screening of the dumps had yielded a large quantity of bones. It would eventually be possible to match many of these with those from the truncated graves, and with graves completely destroyed by the trenching machine.
Detailed examination of the remains has yet to be started. Some preliminary observations can be made.
It is possible that the burials relate to the farming community known to have lived here from the nineteenth century to about the mid twentieth century. Some of the (undisturbed) graves look to be relatively recent (?mid twentieth century). It is hoped that archival research will provide evidence of the time span over which this burial ground (80-100 graves) was used.
Each of the excavated graves yielded new information. All the burials were in coffins, and preservation was good enough for the survival of fragments of wood, iron handles, iron nails and plates. Grave W8 differed from the remainder of the sample in that its coffin was extensively decorated with embossed ?lead foil and embossed iron plates, while also being orientated with head to east (all the rest lay head to the west), with the ?female skeleton bearing two thin gold ?wedding bands on its left hand. Very close to W8 was W7, containing the remains of an infant - possibly the two being related?
Together with the adult in Grave E1 was a child aged about 5 or 6 years. Grave W9 contained two small coffins with an infant in each. The high number of infant burials is not unusual for an era prior to when medical science brought childhood diseases under better control. Close association of adults and children could reflect situations of 'epidemic'. Several skeletons displayed the effects of arthritis.
Besides coffins (variable in shape and construction technique - some seemingly ad hoc, perhaps locally made, as may be anticipated for a farm community setting), there were few cultural items. These consisted of buttons, safety pins on three of the infants, and a press-stud. Exceptional were the gold bands in W8.
Much work lies ahead. At the public meeting the developer (Department of Public Works), the SANDF (using the land), the contractor and staff, the McGregor Museum, SAHRA, the local community, the community-based fieldworkers and volunteers, and Mr J.J. Labuschagne who kindly stored equipment at his adjacent house, were all thanked. We are grateful to the DRC Church at Alexandersfontein for providing us with a venue for the meeting.
No information was volunteered as to any known family or community link with the burials. Unanimous support was given for the eventual re-interment of the remains in the adjacent burial ground, which is due to be cleaned up, fenced, and maintained by the SANDF. Access would be granted to any persons wishing to visit the graves in the future. There would be further consultation as to appropriate rites once the remains are ready for re-interment.
Project team headed by: Elizabeth Voigt (professional archaeologist and project director) on behalf of McGregor Museum (permit holder: David Morris).
This summary prepared by David Morris based on report by Elizabeth Voigt dated 7 July 2004.
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