Artslink.co.za - Melville Koppies newsletter: August 2011

Artslink.co.za - Melville Koppies newsletter: August 2011:

"The Cave on Melville Koppies West is a heritage site with a blue Heritage Plaque. A magnificent Ficus ingens (Rock-breaking fig tree) frames the cave shelter made by the overhang of enormous quartzite rocks just west of Beyers Naude Drive. In springtime the tree’s leaves turn blood-red. We had an unexpected pleasure this week when Revil Mason, the archaeologist who did extensive work in Melville Koppies and other sites in South Africa, gave a talk to a few guests at The Cave itself. One could easily imagine the excitement of the archaeologists as they unearthed fragments of bones of wild and domestic animals in the deep layers of ash. The patterns on the assortment of the many pottery shards found indicated that people from far and wide used The Cave, even people from the Free State. The real bonus find was the linkshaft of a Bushman arrow."