Namibian Housing of the Past

from Construction Mining Magazine Dec-Jan 2021

by Namibia's Construction and Mining Magazine

The Tale of Roel Rutgers

Dating back to school days, our history books highlighted the nomadic nature of some

Namibian/African people. Whereas some tribes were nomadic (like the Khoesan) and settled in a single place for a very short time, others were both crop and livestock farmers (the Ovaherero for example) and often stayed in one area for extended times. Whichever the case, these ancestors of ours had to formulate some form of shelter for the duration of their stay, hence this article will briefly cover the archaic housing of the Khoesan and Ovaherero people.

There is a belief that the nomadic tribes lived in caves to shelter them from harsh weather conditions, and when the hunting ceased or the area no longer had enough prey, they would move to a different location. However, there is a slight flaw in this theory. Seeing that predatory animals also occupied these caves, and that they (caves) were hardly found in most area, we now have learned that nests may have been the oldest form of architecture in terms of housing. This trait can also be seen in chimpanzees and baboons. These makeshift houses were built by outlining the foundation, digging holes and placing branches, twigs, grass and leaves to create more advanced nests with the use of rocks and sticks as tools.

The Ovaherero people were farmers with large herd of cattle, sheep and goats. Crop farming became a reality later on. Their architectural ingenuity was based on their lifestyle, just as the Khoesan. They lived in one area for longer periods. This led to them building more solid structures using logs, mud and cow dung. They were more permanent structures as opposed to the Khoesan people. They too used sticks to dig holes for the foundation and rocks for other means.

In the modern day, we find elevated issues on housing. The past is a blueprint from which we can learn to develop easier and affordable ways to cater housing for the vast majority in a country filled with resources.

Did Houses Come from Nests? The San Bushmen Help us Find Out. - youtu.be/Y_sqDoI5ad8

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