Temperate Southern Africa (2,637 – 910 BCE)…
2637 BCE to 910 BCE
Temperate Southern Africa
(2,637 – 910 BCE) Bronze and Early Iron — Pastoral Mosaics and Agro-Forestry Seeds
Geographic and Environmental Context
Temperate Southern Africa includes:-
South Africa (Cape littoral, Highveld, Drakensberg, Karoo, Namaqualand).
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Lesotho and Eswatini.
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Most of Namibia and Botswana, except the far northern sectors (Caprivi, Etosha, Okavango, Skeleton Coast — those are in Tropical Southern Africa).
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Southern Zimbabwe and southwestern Mozambique (Maputo–Limpopo region).
Anchors: Cape littoral & fynbos, Drakensberg–Lesotho massif, Highveld grasslands (Witwatersrand, Free State), Namaqualand semi-desert, Kalahari southern margins, Great Karoo, Maputo–Limpopo basins, southern Zimbabwe plateau (Great Zimbabwe heartland).
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By 1st millennium BCE, livestock widely integrated; farming spread from the north later.
Climate & Environmental Shifts
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Arid pulses affected Namaqualand; Highveld remained stable.
Subsistence & Settlement
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Pastoral societies raised cattle, sheep, goats.
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Foragers continued along coasts, integrated into pastoral trade.
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Early cultivation of sorghum and millet in Limpopo–southern Zimbabwe.
Technology & Material Culture
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Pottery widespread; iron appears by late 1st millennium BCE.
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Iron hoes/adzes allowed field clearance.
Movement & Interaction Corridors
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Coastal trade moved shells, hides, livestock.
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Limpopo–Highveld corridor expanded.
Cultural & Symbolic Expressions
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Rock art integrated livestock with ritual hunting imagery.
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Ancestor cults deepened.
Environmental Adaptation & Resilience
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Herd–crop–forage balance improved stability.
Transition
By 910 BCE, temperate southern Africa fused pastoral and early farming systems.