HED4805
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: 15 MAY 2026
,HED4805 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
Due Date: 15 May 2026
Question 1.1: Explain what is understood by the "indigenous" people of Southern
Africa.
The term "indigenous" people of Southern Africa refers to the original inhabitants of the
region who lived there before the advent of colonialism from Europe. According to
Seroto (2020), the indigenous peoples of Southern Africa include three main groups: the
Khoi (also known as Khoikhoi), the San (historically referred to as "Bushmen", though
this term is now deemed offensive), and the Bantu-speaking people (Seroto, 2020, p.
41).
The Khoi were pastoralists who kept cattle and fat-tailed sheep, and were also pottery
makers. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that the Khoi were the first people to
settle in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, living in southern Africa since the 5th
century AD (Seroto, 2020, p. 44). They used animals not only for milk, meat, and
clothing but also trained them for riding and even warfare.
The San are the Later Stone Age people and indigenous inhabitants of Africa, with
genetic evidence suggesting they are one of the most ancient peoples in the world,
going back perhaps 60,000 years (Seroto, 2020, p. 46). The San were hunter-gatherers,
painters, and sculptors who used stone tools to cut up animals they hunted. They
preferred to live as small clans in caves or huts made from branches.
, The Bantu-speaking people (today generally called Africans) lived in various parts of
Africa between the 2nd and 5th century. Historians and anthropologists postulate that
they originated from what is now Cameroon and eastern Nigeria, migrating downward
into southern Africa. They were mixed agriculturalists who herded cattle, sheep, and
goats while cultivating sorghum, millet, and other crops (Seroto, 2020, p. 46).
The storyboard module further clarifies that the term "pre-colonial period" is problematic
as it marks the arrival of Europeans as the key development in the region's history.
Instead, "before colonial times" is preferred when referencing the history of indigenous
people prior to the advent of colonialism (HED4805 Storyboard, p. 41). Importantly, the
view that African history started during colonial rule is untrue, and education for
indigenous people was not solely provided by missionaries and European colonists
(Seroto, 2020, p. 56).
Question 1.2: Critically expound your perspective on the commonly held view
that indigenous people were ignorant of technological skills and practices.
The commonly held view that indigenous people were ignorant of technological skills
and practices is a colonial myth that must be thoroughly rejected. The extract from the
prescribed textbook clearly demonstrates that indigenous people of Southern Africa
possessed sophisticated technological knowledge and skills that were passed down
through generations.
Advanced hunting technologies: The San people developed complex hunting
technologies including the bow and arrow method, snares, and slow-poison
technologies. They understood that the arrow could fly approximately 20 metres, and
they used poisoned arrows to kill large game such as antelope, buffalo, or eland
ASSIGNMENT 1
DUE DATE: 15 MAY 2026
,HED4805 ASSIGNMENT 1 2026
Due Date: 15 May 2026
Question 1.1: Explain what is understood by the "indigenous" people of Southern
Africa.
The term "indigenous" people of Southern Africa refers to the original inhabitants of the
region who lived there before the advent of colonialism from Europe. According to
Seroto (2020), the indigenous peoples of Southern Africa include three main groups: the
Khoi (also known as Khoikhoi), the San (historically referred to as "Bushmen", though
this term is now deemed offensive), and the Bantu-speaking people (Seroto, 2020, p.
41).
The Khoi were pastoralists who kept cattle and fat-tailed sheep, and were also pottery
makers. Archaeological evidence demonstrates that the Khoi were the first people to
settle in South Africa at the Cape of Good Hope, living in southern Africa since the 5th
century AD (Seroto, 2020, p. 44). They used animals not only for milk, meat, and
clothing but also trained them for riding and even warfare.
The San are the Later Stone Age people and indigenous inhabitants of Africa, with
genetic evidence suggesting they are one of the most ancient peoples in the world,
going back perhaps 60,000 years (Seroto, 2020, p. 46). The San were hunter-gatherers,
painters, and sculptors who used stone tools to cut up animals they hunted. They
preferred to live as small clans in caves or huts made from branches.
, The Bantu-speaking people (today generally called Africans) lived in various parts of
Africa between the 2nd and 5th century. Historians and anthropologists postulate that
they originated from what is now Cameroon and eastern Nigeria, migrating downward
into southern Africa. They were mixed agriculturalists who herded cattle, sheep, and
goats while cultivating sorghum, millet, and other crops (Seroto, 2020, p. 46).
The storyboard module further clarifies that the term "pre-colonial period" is problematic
as it marks the arrival of Europeans as the key development in the region's history.
Instead, "before colonial times" is preferred when referencing the history of indigenous
people prior to the advent of colonialism (HED4805 Storyboard, p. 41). Importantly, the
view that African history started during colonial rule is untrue, and education for
indigenous people was not solely provided by missionaries and European colonists
(Seroto, 2020, p. 56).
Question 1.2: Critically expound your perspective on the commonly held view
that indigenous people were ignorant of technological skills and practices.
The commonly held view that indigenous people were ignorant of technological skills
and practices is a colonial myth that must be thoroughly rejected. The extract from the
prescribed textbook clearly demonstrates that indigenous people of Southern Africa
possessed sophisticated technological knowledge and skills that were passed down
through generations.
Advanced hunting technologies: The San people developed complex hunting
technologies including the bow and arrow method, snares, and slow-poison
technologies. They understood that the arrow could fly approximately 20 metres, and
they used poisoned arrows to kill large game such as antelope, buffalo, or eland
