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Volunteer Feedback on their Archaeology Projects in South Africa

Don’t be mistaken, it isn’t all wealth, fame and glamorous artefacts, it is however rewarding work delving into different cultures, traditions and ways of life, some of which you would never have experienced previously. For me, archaeology is the backbone of history and being able to contribute is an amazing thing and you get to go to beautiful places you wouldn’t normally!

Each project is different and depends on the time scale permitted by the governing body; here in KZN that body is AMAFA. On arrival, AMAFA had a scheduled 5 day excavation of a new Anglo-Boer War site at Mooi River. As it was a new site, everything was brand spanking new! So foot or observation surveys was the first step, the result - identifying the best spots to ‘test’.

Test pits are small areas which are excavated to ‘test’ the area and identify its importance, if you find something, great, if not, you move on. Simple trial and error.

An average days work will require you to get dirty, there’s plenty of digging for everyone, artefacts which are found are noted and bagged, and all the soil from the area is sifted for smaller finds. So you are never stuck doing the same thing!

As project lengths differ, you never know what you might be doing next, so Christopher and I are off up north next week helping with a never-ending ancient tribal royal village site. Who knows what we might find…

I’m here as part of a 4 week Archaeology placement. I arrived on 3^rd February at Pietermaritzburg and was met at the airport by Rich then taken to the backpackers. The accommodation is great, really relaxed but still offering everything that you need. The owners, Kelvin and Kim are really helpful and Kelvin’s cooking in particular is something to look forward to of an evening.

Pietermaritzburg is a quite a quiet place, but nevertheless there is plenty to do. The Natal museum is worthy of a visit and Midlands Mall, a short taxi ride away, boasts a cinema, as well as plenty of shops and restaurants. Nightlife is somewhat limited but there are a couple of clubs (which are pretty similar to Western clubs) and plenty of bars. There are quite a few McDonalds and KFCs in case you wish to be reminded of home. If you want to have a city experience, then the costal city of Durban is a short and cheap bus ride away. Highlights include uShaka Marine World which offers shark dives and Dolphin shows.

We met Elise and Dolphin (trained archaeologists who we would be working with) at AMAFA headquarters on our first day. The actual digging did not start until the next day when we conducted a foot survey at an Anglo Boer war site near Mooi river. The foot survey was basically just establishing where the best places to dig down would be. The following days were spent digging test pits and uncovering and collecting artefacts. Artefacts at Mooi river included bottles, belt buckles and tent pegs. The object of the dig was to get a basic idea of the layout of the camp, in addition to finding out how the soldiers lived. It’s hard work, especially in the heat, but the surrounding area really is beautiful.

Next week we travel up to Ulundi to help with ongoing work at a Zulu tribal site. Days spent digging are usually broken up with time spent at headquarters doing analysis. With such a varied schedule, the experience is made both enjoyable and challenging.

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the list of all our projects in South Africa

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