Gordons Bay shell midden tells life stories
14 June 2020
The Gordon’s Bay Midden is the last surviving major archaeological site along the False Bay coast. It is located in the Hendon Park Resort and protected by the National Heritage Resources Act.
The Gordon’s Bay Midden, also known as Dune 111 or Sandkop, is believed to have formed between 2 700 and 3 200 years ago.
The midden was originally situated in an extensive dune cordon and was on the tallest dune in the area, marked by a survey beacon as it is still the tallest point in the immediate vicinity. Much of this dune cordon, however, has been flattened or destroyed during the course urban expansion in the 20th century.
Not far from the midden are a number of fish-traps which were used in the past, and are still being used, to catch fish trapped in these pools by the outgoing tide.
A midden is essentially a heap of food waste and discarded or lost items, and could take several years to accumulate. It is the result of seasonal shellfish harvesting by indigenous groups in the past.
A shell midden consists of predominantly shells, but may also contain discarded animal and fish bone, fragments of stone and stone tools, beads and occasionally, if the preservation is good, remnants of plant food. If a midden was formed in the last 2 000 years, then it may also contain fragments of pottery and the bones of domesticated animals.
The Gordon’s Bay Midden was excavated in 1967 by Dr Francis van Noten, a Belgian archaeologist. The lack of pottery and domesticated animal remains in the Gordon’s Bay Midden indicates that this midden was formed before the arrival of Khoekhoe herders at the Cape.
The archaeology of shell middens throughout the coastal regions of Southern Africa is of interest because it tells us about how people lived in the past. The bones of the animals and fish that they hunted and their tools tell us about changing technological innovation over time. Ochre and beads made of, for example, ostrich eggshell and marine shell, and other personal decorations tell us about the different cultural groups that co-existed and potential trade networks.
Archaeologists refer to people who lived during the Later Stone Age as either hunter-gatherers or herders, based on their subsistence strategy. Hunter-gatherers collected plant food and hunted animals, while herders in addition to collecting and hunting, also kept domestic animals.
Over and above the information about the people who lived and formed these shell middens, the animal bone and marine shell contain information about the environmental conditions that were prevalent at the time of the formation of the midden.
The recreation of past environments and climate can help scientists predict how our environment will react to climate change and to mitigate those changes in future planning. The scientific analysis for example, seashells contained within middens have contributed to a better understanding of fluctuations in ocean temperature.
The City has various programmes and policies which aim at ensuring that our natural and cultural heritage is given adequate protection. The Integrated Coastal Management Policy and the Coastal Management Programme, for example, are designed to ensure that our coasts are adequately protected and forms part of the City’s resilience and sustainability planning.
‘All shell middens are protected by the National Heritage Resources Act. People are not allowed to pick up or remove anything from this midden or damage it in any way. It is our responsibility to ensure that the heritage of all people past, present and future are protected,’ said the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Spatial Planning and Environment, Alderman Marian Nieuwoudt.
‘We are planning to host an educational exhibition once the National Lockdown is over, where residents will be able to view, among other things, Dr Van Noten’s excavation images and notes from 1967. Details of the exhibition will be communicated closer to the time,’ said Alderman Nieuwoudt.
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Published by:
City of Cape Town, Media Office
