The prehistoric Khoesan relationship with the modern population of southern Africa using biological distance
Date
2020
Authors
Lander, Stacey Lee
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Abstract
The population history of southern Africa is complex, especially with regard to the
relationships between the indigenous Khoesan peoples and the migrating Bantu-speakers.
Previous genetic, archaeological and bioanthropological studies suggested interactions
between them, especially during the last 2,000 years. Current genetic research highlights the
genetic distinctness of the Khoesan and their admixture with other South African populations,
but their early population dynamics have not been fully investigated. This project used
biodistance analyses to explore population interactions through time and over geographical
space in southern Africa. This included Smith’s Mean Measure of Divergence statistic for
cranial nonmetric and dental nonmetric data, as well as R-matrix theory for the dental metric
data. Samples included skeletal specimens of Later Stone Age (n=303), Iron Age (n=105),
modern Khoesan peoples (n=261) and modern Bantu-speakers (n=176). Two different groups
of modern Khoesan individuals were also analysed, which incorporated known-in-life crania
(n=24) and dental casts of living individuals (n=237).
Substantial admixture was identified in the cranial and dental samples of modern Khoesan,
with indications of both prehistoric and recent interactions with Bantu-speaking groups. The
prehistoric cranial comparisons indicate the genetic exchanges began prior to 2,000 BP, with
the levels of interaction increasing over time according to both the cranial and dental results.
This suggests the migrating Bantu-speakers may have assimilated with other Later Stone Age
groups in central Africa, implying that the morphology of the Iron Age groups may have
already reflected their Khoesan admixture upon arrival in southern Africa. Once settled, these
Iron Age peoples mainly interacted with those Later Stone Age groups in close geographical
proximity (according to the cranial and dental results), while the more mobile Later Stone
Age groups, from more distant geographical regions, show less interaction with the Iron Age
peoples. Finally, differing from previous dental research, the cranial results of this study
revealed two distinct geographical areas of similarity for the Later Stone Age samples
Description
A thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy to the Faculty of Health Sciences,
School of Anatomical Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, 2020