Phase 6: from July 2019

The scientific site survey produced a clear indication of the state and condition of the fish traps and was a unique experience because nothing like this had been done before. We hope that our efforts will contribute towards a better understanding of these traps. The survey was conducted on the ground with theodolites and the results were cross-referenced with the data from aerial drone surveys. Donald Flint developed a specific technique to ensure that the cross-referencing on the data was done in a scientific manner using white paper plates and cups positioned at surveyed points on the ground. When all the points were marked by the paper plates which were placed and held in place with sand or pebbles on the exact points surveyed by the students with theodolites, the drone took a series of aerial shots which were subsequently merged using software. In this way it was possible to clearly see and measure the dimensions of the traps using the software. Following this, the students diagrammed the traps surveyed at the Cape Recife and Oyster Bay sites using CAD software. The presentation of the diagrams representing the structures immediately led to discussions in class about how these sites might have been used, their interaction with the surrounding territory and the geometry of the structures. The Klip Drift site was surveyed by drone only and was subsequently diagrammed by one of the students, Joslin Nel, who continued to participate in the research above and beyond the requirements of her history course.

Phase 6: From July 2019 Following the production of the representations of the traps, we began processing and interpreting the data with a particular focus on investigating how the site may have interacted with the surrounding territory. This phase of our research was supported by the close study of analogous sites located in the Western Cape in South Africa; Brewarrina, the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Wellesley Islands in Australia; Mull in Scotland, and the Peghu Archipelago in Taiwan.