The macrofaunal remains of wild animals from Abbofs Cave and Lame Sheep Shelter, Seacow Valley, Cape

Abstract

The faunal remains from two adjacent shelters in the Seacow Valley provide evidence of seasonal predation on springbok by hunter-gatherer societies. The unusually high proportion of foetal and neonate remains indicate the hunting of pregnant ewes and/or ewes with newborn lambs. The deposits are disturbed by ground squirrel burrowing, but these did not influence the species representation. The coming of pre-colonial pastoralists and trekboer farmers did not initially influenced the availability of game.