Amanda Esterhuysen
Biographic Data
| ID | 1211889 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Amanda Esterhuysen |
| GIVEN NAMES | Amanda |
| FAMILY NAME | Esterhuysen |
| SIGNATURE | ESTERHUYSEN A |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of the Witwatersrand |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4268-5111 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 20 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 30 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 18 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 2 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 1994 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Burial, Reburial
This article presents the first systematic study of cultural impacts caused by infrastructure building, resource extraction (particularly mining), and renewable energy systems in South Africa since democratisation, focusing on burial grounds and graves. We argue that South African policies supporting growth in these sectors have created a reburial industry that perpetuates inter-generational trauma and capitalises on the dead at the expense of th…
Abaphansi bayakhuluma (Ancestors are speaking)
South Africa stands as one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of minerals, including gold, coal, platinum group metals, chrome and diamonds. However, this status has been achieved through mining practices that are unsustainable and environmentally destructive. Despite the implementation of legislative measures after 1994, such as the National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998 (NEMA), unchecked expansion, inadequate monitoring …
Mapping and excavation of the Plaatberg Mission Precinct, Free State, South Africa
This paper presents the results of an investigation into three structures situated at the centre of the 19th-century Plaatberg Mission Station, in the Free State province, South Africa. First, we locate the study site within the larger Mission Station. Second, excavated data are presented according to spatial context, and then variations within the midden dataset are used to suggest different periods of occupation and missionary presence. Lastly,…
Tom Huffman (1944–2022)
Thomas (Tom) Niel Huffman was born and educated in the United States. In 1966 he graduated with a BA Honours degree in anthropology and later obtained his MA (1968) and PhD (1974) in anthropology f
Re-thinking the Curatorial—Interrogating Old Practices and New Efforts in Colonial Collections and Archives
Opening enclosure
This paper aims to deepen our understanding of the social and historic dimension of the Wesleyan Mission Station, Plaatberg, located in the Free State province of South Africa. It argues that the footprint of the mission station, exposed during an archaeological study of this landscape, lays bare the individual, as well as the general Methodist philosophy and political ideals. By placing acts of enclosure at the centre of the study it forefronts …
Plant Remains Recovered from the 1854 Siege of the Kekana Ndebele, Historic Cave, Makapan Valley, South Africa
Historical archaeobotany provides an empirical record of sometimes hidden livelihoods, particularly when documentary records are lacking. This paper reports on the wide range of plant taxa identified from the excavation of Historic Cave, Makapan Valley, South Africa, the site of a siege that took place in AD 1854. Growing tensions between Dutch settlers and chiefdoms in the northern regions of the country precipitated what appeared to be a premed…
A study of naturally mummified human tissue from Historic Cave, Limpopo, South Africa
Faunal Remains from the 1854 Siege of Mugombane, Makapans Valley, South Africa
A Snake Cannot have Two Heads
This article focuses on the social dynamics of the mid-twentieth century that influenced the body of tradition championed by members of the royal family of Kekana Ndebele at Mošate, Limpopo Province South Africa. The material remains of the 1854 siege of the Kekana Ndebele under chief Mugombane I, provided a means of detecting old political alliances and contributed towards understanding variances in the narrative topography constructed by two se…
The Cinderella metaphor
This paper provides an overview of how the rapid pace of political and economic changes that have occurred in South Africa over the last 20 years and have framed and reframed the heritage agenda. It tracks how these shifting national imperatives have impacted on the development and practice of archaeology in the country
Beyond the drip-line
The activities of hunter-gatherers are often captured in rockshelters, but here the authors present a study of a riverside settlement outside one, with a rich sequence from 1300 BC to AD 800. Thanks to frequent flooding, periods of occupation were sealed and could be examined in situ. The phytolith and faunal record, especially fish, chronicle changing climate and patterns of subsistence, emphasising that the story here is no predictable one-way …
Five Hundred Years Rediscovered
Divining the siege of Mugombane
Human skeletal and mummified remains from the AD1854 siege of Mugombane, Limpopo South Africa
A Search for Origins
A Comparison of Charcoal and Stable Carbon Isotope Results for the Caledon River Valley, Southern Africa, for the Period 13 500-5000 yr BP
A. B. Esterhuysen, J. M. Smith, A Comparison of Charcoal and Stable Carbon Isotope Results for the Caledon River Valley, Southern Africa, for the Period 13 500-5000 yr BP, The South African Archaeological Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 177 (Jun., 2003), pp. 1-5
The birth of educational archaeology in South Africa
Archaeology in education has been introduced in South Africa only recently as the politics of the past precluded the application of archaeology in the classroom. This paper presents the background to South African education and educational archaeology and discusses some of the issues and studies undertaken in South Africa. It also offers comment on the factors which determine and shape educational archaeology of the present and those that may aff…
Evolution
Leliehoek Shelter
The results of excavations at Leliehoek Shelter in the eastern Orange Free State are reported. Mid-Holocene dates have been obtained for ostrich eggshell and Wilton and post-Wilton assemblages have been identified. Environmental reconstruction, based on charcoal and fauna, indicates mesic mid-Holocene conditions
Beyond the drip-line
The activities of hunter-gatherers are often captured in rockshelters, but here the authors present a study of a riverside settlement outside one, with a rich sequence from 1300 BC to AD 800. Thanks to frequent flooding, periods of occupation were sealed and could be examined in situ. The phytolith and faunal record, especially fish, chronicle changing climate and patterns of subsistence, emphasising that the story here is no predictable one-way …
Human skeletal and mummified remains from the AD1854 siege of Mugombane, Limpopo South Africa
The Cinderella metaphor
This paper provides an overview of how the rapid pace of political and economic changes that have occurred in South Africa over the last 20 years and have framed and reframed the heritage agenda. It tracks how these shifting national imperatives have impacted on the development and practice of archaeology in the country
The birth of educational archaeology in South Africa
Archaeology in education has been introduced in South Africa only recently as the politics of the past precluded the application of archaeology in the classroom. This paper presents the background to South African education and educational archaeology and discusses some of the issues and studies undertaken in South Africa. It also offers comment on the factors which determine and shape educational archaeology of the present and those that may aff…
Faunal Remains from the 1854 Siege of Mugombane, Makapans Valley, South Africa
A Snake Cannot have Two Heads
This article focuses on the social dynamics of the mid-twentieth century that influenced the body of tradition championed by members of the royal family of Kekana Ndebele at Mošate, Limpopo Province South Africa. The material remains of the 1854 siege of the Kekana Ndebele under chief Mugombane I, provided a means of detecting old political alliances and contributed towards understanding variances in the narrative topography constructed by two se…
A Comparison of Charcoal and Stable Carbon Isotope Results for the Caledon River Valley, Southern Africa, for the Period 13 500-5000 yr BP
A. B. Esterhuysen, J. M. Smith, A Comparison of Charcoal and Stable Carbon Isotope Results for the Caledon River Valley, Southern Africa, for the Period 13 500-5000 yr BP, The South African Archaeological Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 177 (Jun., 2003), pp. 1-5
Evolution
Leliehoek Shelter
The results of excavations at Leliehoek Shelter in the eastern Orange Free State are reported. Mid-Holocene dates have been obtained for ostrich eggshell and Wilton and post-Wilton assemblages have been identified. Environmental reconstruction, based on charcoal and fauna, indicates mesic mid-Holocene conditions
Opening enclosure
This paper aims to deepen our understanding of the social and historic dimension of the Wesleyan Mission Station, Plaatberg, located in the Free State province of South Africa. It argues that the footprint of the mission station, exposed during an archaeological study of this landscape, lays bare the individual, as well as the general Methodist philosophy and political ideals. By placing acts of enclosure at the centre of the study it forefronts …
A study of naturally mummified human tissue from Historic Cave, Limpopo, South Africa
Leliehoek Shelter
The results of excavations at Leliehoek Shelter in the eastern Orange Free State are reported. Mid-Holocene dates have been obtained for ostrich eggshell and Wilton and post-Wilton assemblages have been identified. Environmental reconstruction, based on charcoal and fauna, indicates mesic mid-Holocene conditions
Evolution
The birth of educational archaeology in South Africa
Archaeology in education has been introduced in South Africa only recently as the politics of the past precluded the application of archaeology in the classroom. This paper presents the background to South African education and educational archaeology and discusses some of the issues and studies undertaken in South Africa. It also offers comment on the factors which determine and shape educational archaeology of the present and those that may aff…
A Comparison of Charcoal and Stable Carbon Isotope Results for the Caledon River Valley, Southern Africa, for the Period 13 500-5000 yr BP
A. B. Esterhuysen, J. M. Smith, A Comparison of Charcoal and Stable Carbon Isotope Results for the Caledon River Valley, Southern Africa, for the Period 13 500-5000 yr BP, The South African Archaeological Bulletin, Vol. 58, No. 177 (Jun., 2003), pp. 1-5
A Search for Origins
Five Hundred Years Rediscovered
Divining the siege of Mugombane
Human skeletal and mummified remains from the AD1854 siege of Mugombane, Limpopo South Africa
Beyond the drip-line
The activities of hunter-gatherers are often captured in rockshelters, but here the authors present a study of a riverside settlement outside one, with a rich sequence from 1300 BC to AD 800. Thanks to frequent flooding, periods of occupation were sealed and could be examined in situ. The phytolith and faunal record, especially fish, chronicle changing climate and patterns of subsistence, emphasising that the story here is no predictable one-way …
A Snake Cannot have Two Heads
This article focuses on the social dynamics of the mid-twentieth century that influenced the body of tradition championed by members of the royal family of Kekana Ndebele at Mošate, Limpopo Province South Africa. The material remains of the 1854 siege of the Kekana Ndebele under chief Mugombane I, provided a means of detecting old political alliances and contributed towards understanding variances in the narrative topography constructed by two se…
The Cinderella metaphor
This paper provides an overview of how the rapid pace of political and economic changes that have occurred in South Africa over the last 20 years and have framed and reframed the heritage agenda. It tracks how these shifting national imperatives have impacted on the development and practice of archaeology in the country
Faunal Remains from the 1854 Siege of Mugombane, Makapans Valley, South Africa
A study of naturally mummified human tissue from Historic Cave, Limpopo, South Africa
Plant Remains Recovered from the 1854 Siege of the Kekana Ndebele, Historic Cave, Makapan Valley, South Africa
Historical archaeobotany provides an empirical record of sometimes hidden livelihoods, particularly when documentary records are lacking. This paper reports on the wide range of plant taxa identified from the excavation of Historic Cave, Makapan Valley, South Africa, the site of a siege that took place in AD 1854. Growing tensions between Dutch settlers and chiefdoms in the northern regions of the country precipitated what appeared to be a premed…
Opening enclosure
This paper aims to deepen our understanding of the social and historic dimension of the Wesleyan Mission Station, Plaatberg, located in the Free State province of South Africa. It argues that the footprint of the mission station, exposed during an archaeological study of this landscape, lays bare the individual, as well as the general Methodist philosophy and political ideals. By placing acts of enclosure at the centre of the study it forefronts …
Re-thinking the Curatorial—Interrogating Old Practices and New Efforts in Colonial Collections and Archives
Tom Huffman (1944–2022)
Thomas (Tom) Niel Huffman was born and educated in the United States. In 1966 he graduated with a BA Honours degree in anthropology and later obtained his MA (1968) and PhD (1974) in anthropology f
Mapping and excavation of the Plaatberg Mission Precinct, Free State, South Africa
This paper presents the results of an investigation into three structures situated at the centre of the 19th-century Plaatberg Mission Station, in the Free State province, South Africa. First, we locate the study site within the larger Mission Station. Second, excavated data are presented according to spatial context, and then variations within the midden dataset are used to suggest different periods of occupation and missionary presence. Lastly,…
Burial, Reburial
This article presents the first systematic study of cultural impacts caused by infrastructure building, resource extraction (particularly mining), and renewable energy systems in South Africa since democratisation, focusing on burial grounds and graves. We argue that South African policies supporting growth in these sectors have created a reburial industry that perpetuates inter-generational trauma and capitalises on the dead at the expense of th…
Abaphansi bayakhuluma (Ancestors are speaking)
South Africa stands as one of the world’s leading producers and exporters of minerals, including gold, coal, platinum group metals, chrome and diamonds. However, this status has been achieved through mining practices that are unsustainable and environmentally destructive. Despite the implementation of legislative measures after 1994, such as the National Environmental Management Act, 107 of 1998 (NEMA), unchecked expansion, inadequate monitoring …
History (13 works) · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies (12 works) · Archaeology (10 works) · Geography (10 works) · Ancient history (6 works) · History (5 works) · Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology (5 works) · Art (4 works) · Chiefdom (4 works) · Ethnology (4 works)