The San People of Southern Africa
The term San refers to a diverse group of hunter-gatherers living in Southern Africa who share historical and linguistic connections - commonly also referred to as Bushmen.
Today, San communities are found in Botswana, Namibia, South Africa and Angola. The San bushmen are one of the oldest ethnic groups in Southern Africa - and in the world. These hunter-gatherers have spread
throughout Southern Africa - from the Zambezi river to the Cape of Good Hope. The San bushmen have lived in Southern Africa for tens of thousands of years.They are a nomadic group and live in temporary shelters, caves or under rocky overhangs. With the arrival of the first Europeans settlers in 1652 in Southern Africa, it sparked clashes between the Europeans and the San.The San were deemed to be little more than wild animals and were systematically exterminated. The European settlers proceeded to wipe out 200,000 bushmen over a period of 200 years. Today, the San bushmen living in Southern Africa are mainly to be found in the Kalahari region and on its borders. The San speak numerous dialects of a group of languages known for the characteristic 'clicks' that can be heard in their pronunciation.
Due to their nomadic lifestyle in the arid Kalahari, water is hard to come by. During the dry season, these migrants collect moisture by scraping and squeezing roots. The Sans are skillful hunters and can read the tracks in the Kalahari desert like a notebook. Hunting is usually done by men. They use traps or poisoned arrows and bow to catch their prey.
|
Where in Africa
|