Marking memories: indigenous north of the !Garib River and contemporary in Westville, South Africa.

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  • Author(s): Lange, Mary Elizabeth1
  • Source:
    Critical Arts: A South-North Journal of Cultural & Media Studies. Dec2016, Vol. 30 Issue 6, p855-876. 22p. 1 Illustration.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
    • Abstract:
      Indigenous ethnography, both past and present, has been used principally for understanding and interpreting prehistoric markers, including rock art. The making of marks or constructing of markers are ways in which we humans create and communicate identity, claim or personalise space, and memorialise these cultural aspects. Cultural practices of the marking of space and place differ, but they may be considered as having a common intra-species meaning. We use technology to mark places and spaces of personal, domestic or collective significance. These markings are made on personal body space or in public spaces and communicate, non-verbally, personal and/or collective identities. This article investigates whether, through not only understanding indigenous ethnography but also contemporary urban markings, we might comprehend the motivation for the creation of prehistoric markings and their possible meanings. Towards this, a thematic analysis of markings in the suburb of Westville, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal is compared to those found at Biesje Poort, in the Northern Cape. The Westville markings include graffiti and arborglyphs, made in the Palmiet Nature Reserve, on a roadside cross, and personal tattoos. The Biesje Poort site includes engravings and roadside cairns. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]