The San people are indigenous hunter-gatherers found in Southern and Central Africa, also known as Bushmen. They lived in small groups of 50 people or less, living in dome-shaped huts or caves. They survived through hunting wildlife with poisoned arrows and gathering plant foods. They practiced nomadic migration and created rock paintings depicting their lifestyles and beliefs. The San had no centralized government, instead operating in egalitarian bands led by a community chief.
The San people are indigenous hunter-gatherers found in Southern and Central Africa, also known as Bushmen. They lived in small groups of 50 people or less, living in dome-shaped huts or caves. They survived through hunting wildlife with poisoned arrows and gathering plant foods. They practiced nomadic migration and created rock paintings depicting their lifestyles and beliefs. The San had no centralized government, instead operating in egalitarian bands led by a community chief.
The San people are indigenous hunter-gatherers found in Southern and Central Africa, also known as Bushmen. They lived in small groups of 50 people or less, living in dome-shaped huts or caves. They survived through hunting wildlife with poisoned arrows and gathering plant foods. They practiced nomadic migration and created rock paintings depicting their lifestyles and beliefs. The San had no centralized government, instead operating in egalitarian bands led by a community chief.
The San people are indigenous hunter-gatherers found in Southern and Central Africa, also known as Bushmen. They lived in small groups of 50 people or less, living in dome-shaped huts or caves. They survived through hunting wildlife with poisoned arrows and gathering plant foods. They practiced nomadic migration and created rock paintings depicting their lifestyles and beliefs. The San had no centralized government, instead operating in egalitarian bands led by a community chief.
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THE SAN PEOPLE
- They are called BUSHMEN by the Boers.
- The Xhosa call them the Abutwa. - Shona people call them Masiri/Mandiwonerepi. - The San people were given all these names because they are short and they also disappeared in grasses. - Today they are found in the Kalahari desert in Botswana (Zimbabwe’s neighbor to the west).
San settlement
- San people lived in doom-shaped huts.
- They also stayed in caves. - Their groups ranged from 50 people and below. - They survived through hunting and gathering thus they were called hunter and gatherers.
San social life
- Stayed in groups of between 50 people and below.
- When the group grew to exceed 50 people they would split into two groups. - San are the ancestors of people who today reside in Southern and Central Africa. - They used Ostrich egg shells to fetch water and used fire sticks to make fire. - The community was headed by the community chiefs. - The wife of the chief supervised the tribal fire and never allowed it to die out.
San economic life
- They practiced hunting and gathering.
- They devised many hunting methods like traps e.g. fish traps/fish baskets made of reeds for catching fish and animal traps e.g. net traps and pit traps for trapping animals. - They used poisoned arrows and spear to kill the animal quickly. - They also used bows and arrows and throwing spears. - Poison was extracted from roots, barks of trees and from poisonous snakes, spiders and scorpions. - Small animal, reptiles and other large animals were killed. - Meat was cooked fresh or dried. - San people also ate gathered fruits, bulbs and nuts. - They also used hooks made from sharpened bones to catch fish like shell fish. - Fibres were spanned to make traps e.g. sisal fibres. - Clothing was light and loose for easy working. - They used skins for clothing and blankets. - They wore ornaments made from seeds, berries, shells and also used pieces of wood to make bracelets and necklines. 2
- They also practiced leather work to make bags and clothes.
- They were nomadic meaning that they moved from place to place or from one place to another.
Rock paintings
- Painted rocks and cave walls and engraved ostrich shells.
- They made paints of several colours. - San rock paintings showed their lifestyles and beliefs. - Pictures, drawn included themselves, animal and hunters chasing and killing animals. - San got most of their resources for survival from the environment.
San political life
- They had no centralized political system or government.
- There was a group leader or community chief. - Their groups ranged from 35 to 50 people per-group. - Change of location was decided by the whole group with leader coordinating. - San societies had no classes or hierarchy, all people were equal. - This was the stage of early communalism.