Ivor Markman

Ivor Markman  

 

There were tears of joy as the 600 year-old Khoisan bones, uncovered and unceremoniously removed by the members of the South African Police Service  in September, 2005, were replaced in a small, yet dignified, ceremony at the place they were found. 

The significant ceremony was the first traditional Khoisan burial held for hundreds of years and according to Gamtkwa heritage representative, council member and spokesman, Kobus Reichert, all the symbolism used during the ceremony was as close as possible to the traditional burial traditions with the exception of the animal slaughter.  

From archeological evidence of the site, its clear this particular group of Khoikhoi did not have any cattle, having lost theirs either through disease or to San raids. 

“This clan mainly ate white mussels, clams and the occasional whale. We found the bones of a zebra, but it was not eaten.  

"The bones were found in perfect condition where the animal died without any cut marks,” he said. 

The ceremony started shortly after three o’clock when guests arrived at the dunefield and were welcomed between two rows of singing Khoikhoi girls. 

The Albany Museum archeologist arrived and handed over the bones, still in the cardboard box in which the police had placed them, to Gamtkwa chief, Ronnie Booysens. 

“We decided not to use a coffin for the reburial as they were not used in those days,” said Reichert. 

Traditionally when a member of the Khoisan died, the person was wrapped in their animal-skin loincloth and placed in a deep oblong or round hole on a bed of kooigoed (a straggling, loosely-branched, soft-wooded evergreen shrub about 1m wide, known to the amaXhosa as phefu).

“We decided to bury the bones in a blesbok skin as research has shown the antelope were indigenous in this area,” he said. 

The body was always positioned with the head facing west, the direction from which the Khoisan believe death and illness come.  

Although this skeleton was found in the foetal position, Khoisan were buried in many different positions, from sitting to lying down. 

After Booysens had taken possession of the bones, he walked to a circle in the sand he had ritually cleansed by the sprinkling of red ochre, calcrete powder and buchu (an indigenous low, white or pink-flowered shrub with medicinal qualities).  

Kooigoed was burnt at four positions around the circle. 

This area was intended as a holding area to protect bones before their removal for the cleansing ritual. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The singers then sang the Nama (a dialect of the Khoekhoegwab language) song, “Praise song for the Creator,” known by the Khoisan as Tsui //Goab (pronounced with a click sound). 

“The language was last used in the Kouga area about 150 years ago,” said Reichert. 

The song, beautifully sung in the original Nama, was translated and sung in English and Afrikaans, for the benefit of those assembled, by the young girls of the Gamkhoi Performers choir. 

“As I stood there I had to fight back the tears,” said Gamtkwa tribe captain Hettie Booysens. 

“It was as though I had a vision of a young baby taking its first steps forwards. 

“In the past we didn’t know what happened to us but now we are learning. 

"There’s no future if you don’t know the past," she said. 

After a few speeches, Chief Booysens and the burial party took the box containing the bones and moved to a secluded spot where the bones were ritually cleansed. 

As the Khoisan believe it is bad luck to touch a body, or as in this case, human bones, the archeologist, who had previously touched the bones after they were found, handled them.  

The bones were cleansed by passing through buchu smoke, sprinkled with powdered red ochre and splattered with buchu water.  

They were then placed in the skin bag. 

With the completion of the bone’s cleansing ritual, Chief Booysens carried them to the grave, dug at the same place where they were originally found. 

The grave was ready, previously prepared with a bed of kooigoed. 

In silence, Chief Booysens handed the bag to Reichert, who placed it on the bottom.  

The bag was then sprinkled with red ochre and powdered calcrete and the grave filled in.  

Although traditionally graves were marked with a kern of stones, this was not done. 

“We didn’t mark the grave because the area is unprotected.

"We’ll send a representative at least once a month to ensure the site has not been tampered with,” said Reichert. 

With tears welling in her eyes, Captain Booysens remarked: “There’s a light now, no more darkness.

"It was like a spiritual rebirth for the Khoisan people.

"We now know the way forward."

 

Photos copyright Ivor  Markman, 2005.