Archaeological evidence shows that South Africa was part of a large region, including North and East Africa, in which modern humans first evolved and lived. Hundreds of thousands of generations of Stone Age hunter-gatherers populated the South African landscape for nearly two million years, yet for all of that time little is known of their names, languages, memories, beliefs, wars or alliances.

About 2,300 years ago, hunter-gatherers called the San acquired domestic stock in what is now modern-day Botswana. Their population grew and spread throughout the Western half of South Africa. They were the first pastoralists in the country, and called themselves the Khoikhoi (or Khoe), which means “men of men”. The Khoikhoi brought a new way of life to South Africa and to the San, who were hunter-gatherers as opposed to herders.

Rock art is evidence of the historical widespread distribution of the San people, as paintings and engravings can still be found in almost every district in South Africa. There is no comprehensive list of all of the sites and many have not been recorded, but it is estimated that there are at least 20,000 to 30,000 sites and more than one million individual images. Some of them are not well preserved, but collectively they represent a remarkable record of the beliefs and cultural practices of the people that created them. Eventual encroachment into their hunting areas by migrating black tribes and later by white settlers resulted in a protracted genocide, and the San were driven into remote and previously uninhabited regions of the country, or forcibly assimilated into other cultures.

The Khoikhoi were the first native people to come into contact with Dutch settlers in the mid-17th century. Unfortunately for them, land disputes and livestock theft resulted in a series of conflicts that largely destroyed their way of life, and diseases such as smallpox, brought into the country by visiting sailors and against which they had no natural resistance or indigenous medicines, decimated the population.

Archaeological evidence shows that South Africa was part of a large region, including North and East Africa, in which modern humans first evolved and lived. Hundreds of thousands of generations of Stone Age hunter-gatherers populated the South African landscape for nearly two million years, yet for all of that time little is known of their names, languages, memories, beliefs, wars or alliances.

About 2,300 years ago, hunter-gatherers called the San acquired domestic stock in what is now modern-day Botswana. Their population grew and spread throughout the Western half of South Africa. They were the first pastoralists in the country, and called themselves the Khoikhoi (or Khoe), which means “men of men”. The Khoikhoi brought a new way of life to South Africa and to the San, who were hunter-gatherers as opposed to herders.

Rock art is evidence of the historical widespread distribution of the San people, as paintings and engravings can still be found in almost every district in South Africa. There is no comprehensive list of all of the sites and many have not been recorded, but it is estimated that there are at least 20,000 to 30,000 sites and more than one million individual images. Some of them are not well preserved, but collectively they represent a remarkable record of the beliefs and cultural practices of the people that created them. Eventual encroachment into their hunting areas by migrating black tribes and later by white settlers resulted in a protracted genocide, and the San were driven into remote and previously uninhabited regions of the country, or forcibly assimilated into other cultures.

The Khoikhoi were the first native people to come into contact with Dutch settlers in the mid-17th century. Unfortunately for them, land disputes and livestock theft resulted in a series of conflicts that largely destroyed their way of life, and diseases such as smallpox, brought into the country by visiting sailors and against which they had no natural resistance or indigenous medicines, decimated the population.

A condensed chronological narrative of the events that defined the

HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA

Author: Michael David Leicester

Prehistory

Scientists researching the periods before written historical records have established that the territory of what is now referred to generically as South Africa was one of the most important centres of human evolution. It was inhabited by Australopithecines since at least 2.5 million years ago, and modern human settlement occurred around 125,000 years ago in the Middle Stone Age. The first human habitation is associated with a DNA group originating in a north-western area of southern Africa and which is still prevalent in the indigenous Khoisan (Khoikhoi and San).

Professor Raymond Dart discovered the skull of the 2.5-million-year-old Taung Child in 1924, the first example of Australopithecus africanus ever found. Following in Dart's footsteps, Robert Broom discovered a new and much more robust hominid in 1938 (Paranthropus robustus,) at Kromdraai, and in 1947 he uncovered several more examples of Australopithecus africanus at Sterkfontein. In the Blombos cave in 2002, stones were discovered engraved with grid or cross-hatch patterns, dated to some 70,000 years ago. This has been interpreted as the earliest example ever discovered of abstract or symbolic art created by Homo sapiens.

How to use the map:

1. Drag and/or zoom to locate your area of interest.
2. Hover your cursor over the relevant icon till the pass name appears. Click once to open the text balloon.
3. To go directly to a pass, simply click on the blue hyperlink in the text balloon.
4. Red markers are for gravel passes and/or jeep tracks.
5. Black markers are for tarred or concreted passes.

A condensed chronological narrative of the events that defined the

HISTORY OF SOUTH AFRICA

Author: Michael David Leicester

Prehistory

Scientists researching the periods before written historical records have established that the territory of what is now referred to generically as South Africa was one of the most important centres of human evolution. It was inhabited by Australopithecines since at least 2.5 million years ago, and modern human settlement occurred around 125,000 years ago in the Middle Stone Age. The first human habitation is associated with a DNA group originating in a north-western area of southern Africa and which is still prevalent in the indigenous Khoisan (Khoikhoi and San).

Entries as at 23rd October, 2019

THE LINK FOR THE ENTRY FORM IS AT THE BOTTOM OF THIS PAGE. PLEASE READ ALL THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS BEFORE COMPLETING THE ENTRY FORM.

01. The challenge is open and free to 4x4 vehicles, adventure motorcycles, MTB riders, walkers and trail runners. (Note that it is not possible to complete some of the passes in a normal car). MTB cyclists, walkers and runners are permitted to move between passes per vehicle. It is a requirement to be a paid up subscriber to MPSA at the time of registration and on the dates of completion.  At present (2019) the subscription is R300 a year. This is to ensure that every entrant has full access to all the safety and technical information available on the website.

And into the mountains I go, to lose my mind and find my soul.

feature by Hanlie Booyens

I USED TO BE A RACER – I loved it too. However time has a wonderful way of showing us what really matters and these days it is not result sheets anymore. For me it is about finding joy in the journey. It is about discovering places that lift my soul. It is about reconnecting with my spirit in spaces where time slows down and I can appreciate life for all it is.

Away from the crowds there are amazing roads to travel, there are climbs to conquer and views to treasure. All you need is a bit of imagination, a good map and my friend Google.

And so we stumbled upon the Ben10. It had the allure of a proper challenge in a beautiful part of our country. It looked perfect offering great climbs, stunning views, remoteness and space. One for the bucket list. The challenge was set by the guys from Mountain Passes South Africa (www.mountainpassessouthafrica.co.za). Initially aimed at the 4x4 community, they invited cyclists to attempt it as well. The goal is to cover ten specific high-altitude gravel passes within a time frame of seven days, whilst enjoying the beautiful and remote Eastern Cape highlands scenery. As they state on their website: “This is not a race but a journey.”

Read the full article: BEN 10 By Bike

- January/February 2019 edition of Ride Cycling Magazine.

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