In this episode, William talks to archaeologist Dr Tim Forssman about the early history of southern Africa. Tim is a senior lecturer at the University of Pretoria and hosts his own YouTube channel Bones and Stones. Tim helps us define archaeology and explains why Indiana Jones is probably not the best example of what it means to be an archaeologist. We discuss the earliest inhabitants of southern Africa, namely the San hunter-gatherers, and what the archaeological record has to say about them. Why did the San not take up farming? We also take a look at the earliest archaeological evidence for the emergence of farming in southern Africa. Find out why Mapungubwe is such a significant archaeological site in southern Africa.
You can get hold of Tim on twitter @Tim4sman. Please reach out to us on Twitter @WilliamHPalk or @C_duPlessis.