Page 4 - Bulletin 1 1997

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THE SONQUA AND KHOIKHOI OF THE CAPE PENINSULA

Andy Smith

Hunting people of South Africa, generally known as Bushmen, but recorded historically as
Sonqua, lived in the Cape Peninsula. We know this from the numerous archaeological sites

found around the peninsula. Some of the best known are Peer’s Cave in the Fish Hoek
Valley, and Smitswinkelbaai Cave in the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve. Peer’s Cave

was occupied by people at least 250000 years ago, but it is the top levels covering the past
12000 years that are of interest to us here. Several skeletons were found at the back of

Peer’s Cave, including the famous Fish Hoek man, which has been dated at 12000 years

ago. These skeletons are similar to what we know of the Bushmen hunting population of
the Cape that existed up to the colonial period, and, of course, biologically still exists here,

but the culture has been lost.

These hunters made good use of the coastal resources. They ate shellfish, fish, crayfish,

marine birds, seals, and, when they stranded, whales. In addition, the bones from
archaeological sites show they hunted terrestrial game as well, including steenbok and

eland, and ate lots of tortoises. Their hunting equipment was basically the bow with
poisoned arrows. Women would collect shellfish and plant foods, particularly the

underground bulbs of the Iridaceae, such as Watsonia sp.

At Peer’s Cave we have a glimpse of another Bushman activity, rock painting. These are

the most southerly examples of rock art in Africa, and, while they consist mostly of hand
prints, are part of a much wider set of Bushman art found throughout the mountains of the

Cape Province. This was not meant as representational art, but part of religious beliefs and
importance of trance-healing. The trance state is where the healers can visit the land of the