Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnography
This paper presents an archaeological perspective on dispute resolution. Being a discipline based primarily on tangible material remains, archaeology may be hard put to draw firm conclusions on a phenomenon whose expression is usually intangible. It nevertheless takes up the challenge to consider wh...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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AOSIS
2014-12-01
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| Series: | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/92 |
| _version_ | 1828395470705131520 |
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| author | David Morris |
| author_facet | David Morris |
| author_sort | David Morris |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper presents an archaeological perspective on dispute resolution. Being a discipline based primarily on tangible material remains, archaeology may be hard put to draw firm conclusions on a phenomenon whose expression is usually intangible. It nevertheless takes up the challenge to consider whether there are traces suggesting the successful avoidance of conflict in the past. Drawing insights from South African Stone Age archaeology and San ethnography, the evidence of unperturbed continuance of a given cultural tradition is considered, as are indications of hxaro-like gift-giving mechanisms known to reduce tension in ethnographic instances of the recent past. Findings based on such indicators may be ambiguous. Evidence of negative outcomes in terms of conflict and homicide would be more obvious and pertinent to dispute resolution, specifically its failure. The role of “othering” in oral literature is referred to for situations where external social distance is emphasised or where regulation of inappropriate behaviour within a group is hinted at. The paper touches on the history of colonial encroachment and genocide in the Karoo, and finally, on the role of heritage itself as it becomes a locus of dispute in the present. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:13:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-482ff29bed0d4d448f39c20052dd0959 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1817-4434 2415-2005 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:13:21Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | AOSIS |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa |
| spelling | doaj.art-482ff29bed0d4d448f39c20052dd09592022-12-22T01:56:31ZengAOSISThe Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa1817-44342415-20052014-12-0110410.4102/td.v10i4.9281Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnographyDavid Morris0Head of Archaeology at the McGregor Museum Kimberley and affiliated with the Department of Heritage Studies, Sol Plaatje UniversityThis paper presents an archaeological perspective on dispute resolution. Being a discipline based primarily on tangible material remains, archaeology may be hard put to draw firm conclusions on a phenomenon whose expression is usually intangible. It nevertheless takes up the challenge to consider whether there are traces suggesting the successful avoidance of conflict in the past. Drawing insights from South African Stone Age archaeology and San ethnography, the evidence of unperturbed continuance of a given cultural tradition is considered, as are indications of hxaro-like gift-giving mechanisms known to reduce tension in ethnographic instances of the recent past. Findings based on such indicators may be ambiguous. Evidence of negative outcomes in terms of conflict and homicide would be more obvious and pertinent to dispute resolution, specifically its failure. The role of “othering” in oral literature is referred to for situations where external social distance is emphasised or where regulation of inappropriate behaviour within a group is hinted at. The paper touches on the history of colonial encroachment and genocide in the Karoo, and finally, on the role of heritage itself as it becomes a locus of dispute in the present.http://www.td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/92dispute resolutionarchaeologyhxaroconflictheritageSan |
| spellingShingle | David Morris Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnography The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa dispute resolution archaeology hxaro conflict heritage San |
| title | Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnography |
| title_full | Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnography |
| title_fullStr | Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnography |
| title_full_unstemmed | Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnography |
| title_short | Dispute resolution – an archaeological perspective with case studies from the South African Stone Age and San ethnography |
| title_sort | dispute resolution an archaeological perspective with case studies from the south african stone age and san ethnography |
| topic | dispute resolution archaeology hxaro conflict heritage San |
| url | http://www.td-sa.net/index.php/td/article/view/92 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT davidmorris disputeresolutionanarchaeologicalperspectivewithcasestudiesfromthesouthafricanstoneageandsanethnography |