Since they started working on the site, Ms Roodt, a labourer and volunteers made several interesting finds. Features like cattle byres (some of which were stone walled) are distributed over the whole site, and at least ten hut floors have been identified to date. “Two of the hut floors had been partly excavated and finds include items like a Cowrie shell, a few glass beads, ostrich eggshell, as well as two reconstructable pots. These features are not only spatially distributed on the site, but are also separated in chronological time, as suggested by various stratification levels,” said Ms Roodt.

She said both the glass beads and the Cowrie are indicative of the inhabitants' involvement in a widespread network on the East Coast. They are therefore of great importance in establishing their trade connections as well as dating of the site. The four ostrich eggshell beads may indicate relations with the San. Other finds include faunal remains, many pottery shreds, and polishing stones, upper grinding stones and one broken lower grinding stone.

Four human burials were also excavated, but unfortunately all were damaged when the trenches for the water pipeline were dug. “However, enough datable material was found and enough remains were found in situ to deduce the position of the bodies in the graves. It will also be possible to establish the sex of the individuals and in at least three cases to establish their age at death,” said Ms Roodt.

Several other graves have since been discovered away from the main site. Ms Roodt says all the burials are important, since various indicators can be used to identify the groups which inhabited the site. In the first grave which was excavated, the person was buried in an upright, foetal position. “This is an indication of high status among several people who inhabited this part of the country. As the grave is situated in a cattle byre, it is likely that it is a male, although in some cases the first wife of an important man would also be buried in such a place,” according to Ms Roodt.

In the upper layers of another grave a pottery shred, dating to about 1000 AD (according to its decorations), was found. It was placed on the grave at the time of burial, said Ms Roodt, for charcoal which came from the grave dated to about 991 AD. The skeleton has not yet been dated.

Decorated pottery shreds, reconstructable pots and the layout of the habitation are of particular interest in establishing the chronological period. According to the stratification, it is also known that the site was inhabited during two different time periods.

“The upper layer suggests a Late Iron Age occupation with pole and dagha structures, few or very roughly decorated pottery, stone walls, glass beads, and large grinding stones for maize. The deeper levels could reveal an Early Iron Age occupation, as one particular potsherd suggests, while grass was probably used to build house structures as there was no hut rubble found, except for burned earthen floors,” said Ms Roodt.

Ms Roodt also proposed that the University of Limpopo become more involved in cultural resource management by means of training of archaeologists in order to fulfil that pressing need. “Archaeological sites are in constant danger because of intensive and increasing development schemes. Without enough properly trained archaeologists very little can be done to preserve the past. Unlike natural resources, our archaeological heritage is not renewable,” she said.