The School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies is one of the most productive research units on Campus. Staff in the School contribute regularly to local and international journals and are active members of the editorial boards of many prestiguous journals in the fields of Geography, Archaeology and the broad area of environmental science.
The School hosts several formally constituted research groups including: Acacia (Professor Lyn Wadley), Archaeological Resources Management (Professor Tom Huffman), Climatology Research Group (Dr Stuart Piketh), ReVamp (Professor Coleen Vogel), and the Rock Art Research Institute (Dr Benjamin Smith).
In addition to these formal research units, the disciplines of Geography and Archaeology specialise in several fields. In the Geography discipline, Professor Coleen Vogel and Dr Zarina Patel both work in the field of
human-environment interaction. Several researchers work in the area of
climate change with the Climatology Research Group monitoring and modelling climate change, Emma examining how climate change affects food security and Coleen examining policy and practice around the issue of climate change internationally and locally. Prof Stefan Grab also works on analysing archival and air photo change analysis in African climates. The cross-cutting emphasis for our sustainability researchers is the issue of
environmental justice and
vulnerability reduction.
The School also specialises in
tourism and heritage studies. Prof Chris Rogerson specialises in the problems of tourism small enterprises,
pro-poor tourism and local impacts of tourism. Dr Jennifer Lally is an
eco-tourism expert who focusses on the compatibility of consumptive and non-consumptive tourist activities in wildlife areas. In Archaeology, Dr Amanda Esterhuizen has a long association with the Sterkfontein hominid fossil site (part of the
Cradle of Humankind World Heritage Site), and continues to research and write up popular materials on the fossil hominids, fauna and flora of the area. She is currently conducting research in the
Makapan Valley. The research interrogates the famous siege of the Kekana Ndebele by the Trekboers in 1854. Prof Tom Huffman is also involved in the archaeology and preservation of the important tourist and heritage site, Mapungubwe in Limpopo Province. The Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape, incorporating the National Park, is also on the World Heritage List. In addition to these projects, the Rock Art Research Institute is an internationally renowned contributor to
rock art studies and Dr Benjamin Smith, the director of this institute is involved in exploring ways in which this heritage resource could be managed.
The discipline of Archaeology also has a number of experts on
ancient livestock herding and
ceramics in southern Africa and Prof Karim Sadr and Tom Huffman are widely published in this area. Prof Lyn Wadley and Dr Kathy Kuman are both experts on
Middle Stone Age studies and Lyn heads the Ancient Cognition and Culture in Africa group (ACACIA).
Our
biophysical research interests are led by
Stefan Grab and Jennifer Lalley. Stefan’s interests range from the geomorphic makeup of mountainous regions throughout
Africa to soil structure in relation to human activities. Jennifer’s focus is in biogeography and biodiversity conservation with species-specific and eco-regional projects throughout the southern African region.
The School also has a
cities focus. Dr Teresa Dirsuweit is concerned with issues of
consumption and
citizenship and the effects these have on the
democratisation of the city. Caryn Abrahams in her work on food networks emphasises consumption patterns in local urban food markets and is concerned the impacts of these on urban food security. Chris Rogerson has been working on
small enterprise development in cities for last 20 years and has a published a large number of articles and books on the topic. A number of our post-graduate researchers have also examined the effects of privatisation on
service delivery and issues of
urban social justice. Teresa and Zarina are also concerned with
participation and
urban governance and the effects of these on social and environmental urban justice.
GAES PUBLICATIONS FOR 2009
Armstrong J., Whitelaw G., Reusch D., Pots that talk, izinkamba ezikhulumayo, SOUTHERN AFRICAN HUMANITIES, 20: pp. 513 – 548.
Blundell G., From Rock Art Research Institute to Origins: Re-imagining the future of rock art, France L'Art Pariétal: Conservation, Mise en Valeur, Communication, 01-Jun-2009 - 05-Jun-2009: pp. 37 – 42.
Blundell G., In Memoriam: Edward Baily Eastwood 1946-2008, SOUTH AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL BULLETIN, 63: pp. 176 – 176.
Bradfield J., Holt S., Sadr K., The last of the LSA on the Makgabeng Plateau, Limpopo Province', SOUTH AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL BULLETIN, 64: pp. 176 – 183
Challis W., Taking the reins: the introduction of the horse in the 19th Century Maloti-Drakensberg and the protective medicine of baboons, Chapter B8, pp. 104-107. In Peter M & Smith B (eds), The Eland’s People: New Perspectives in the Rock art of the Maloti-Drakensberg Bushmen, Wits University Press, Johannesburg.
Conard N., Wadley L., Goldberg P, Miller C, Ligouis B, Berna F, Schiegl S Bedding, hearths, and site maintenance in the Middle Stone Age of Sibudu Cave, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Archaeological and anthropological sciences, 1: pp. 95 – 122.
Deacon J., Can rock art conservation be legislated?, Chapter B9, pp .144-146. In Mitchell P & Smith B (eds), The Eland’s People: New Perspectives in the Rock art of the Maloti-Drakensberg Bushmen, Wits University Press, Johannesburg.
Dirsuweit T., New Urbanism, Public Space and Spatial Justice in Johannesburg: The case of 44 Stanley Ave, ANNALES DE GEOGRAPHIE, 665-666: pp 76 – 93.
Esterhuysen A., Undermining heritage, SOUTH AFRICAN ARCHAEOLOGICAL BULLETIN, 64: pp 1 – 3.
Esterhuysen A., Sanders V., Smith J., Human skeletal and mummified remains from the AD1854 siege of Mugombane, Limpopo South Africa', JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 36: pp. 1038 – 1049.
Gibbon R., Granger D., Kuman K., Partridge T., Early Acheulean technology in the Rietputs Formation, South Africa, dated with cosmogenic nuclides, JOURNAL OF HUMAN EVOLUTION, 56: pp. 152 – 160.
Gibbon V., Stracher G., Penny C., Ruff P., Brief communication: Minimally invasive bone sampling method for DNA analysis, AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, 139: pp. 596 – 599.
Grab S., Mulder N., Mills S., Spatial associations beteen longest-lasting winter snow cover and cold region landforms in the high Drakensburg, southern Africa, GEOGRAFISKA ANNALER SERIES A-PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY, 91A: pp 83 - 97
Hall G., Woodborne S., Pienaar M., Rainfall control of the 813 C ratios of Mimusops caffra from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, HOLOCENE, 19: pp 251 - 260
Hammett D., Local beats to global rhythms: Coloured student identity and negotiations of global cultural imports in Cape Town, South Africa, SOCIAL & CULTURAL GEOGRAPHY,10: pp. 403 – 419.
Hammett D., Jayawardane N'Performing the primitive in the postcolony: Nyoni's Kraal in Cape Town, URBAN FORUM, 20: pp. 215 – 233.
Hoerle S., Salomon A., Denis A., Huneau F., GPR data processing for fractures and flakes detection in sandstone', JOURNAL OF APPLIED GEOPHYSICS, 68: pp 282 – 288.
Hoogendoorn G., Visser H., Marais D., Changing coutrysides, changing villages: second homes in Rhodes, South Africa, SOUTH AFRICAN GEOGRAPHICAL JOURNAL, 91: pp 75 – 83.
Huffman T., A cultural proxy for drought: Ritual burning in the Iron Age of Southern Africa, JOURNAL OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL SCIENCE, 36: pp. 991 – 1005.
Huffman T., Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe: The origin and spread of social complexity in southern Africa, JOURNAL OF ANTHROPOLOGICAL ARCHAEOLOGY, 28: pp 37 – 54.
Igbafe A., Piketh S., Variations in the order of reaction: An implication on atmospheric diffusion with transformation and deposition of SO2 in smoke plume, Environmental Research Journal, 3: pp 4 – 13.
Josipovic M., Annegarn H., Kneen M., Pienaar J., Piketh S., Concentrations, distributions and critical level exceedance assessment of SO2, NO2, and O3 in South Africa, ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND ASSESSMENT, 160: pp 1 – 16.
Leibhammer N., Originals and copies: a Phenomenological Difference, Chapter 4, pp 43-59. In Mitchell P & Smith B (eds), The Eland’s People: New Perspectives in the Rock art of the Maloti-Drakensberg Bushmen, Wits University Press, Johannesburg.
Levin S., Schlanger N., Logiques individuelles, logiques d'Etat: Archeologie et science coloniales en Afrique subsaharienne d'apres les archives du ministere de l'instruction publique', NOUVELLES DE LARCHEOLOGIE, pp. 41 – 45.
Lewis-Williams J., Religion and archaeology: an analytical, materialist account, Chapter 2, pp 23-42. In Hays-Gilpin K & Whitley D (eds), Belief in the Past: Theoretical Approaches to the Archaeology of Religion, Left Coast Press, Walnut Creek (CA).
Lewis-Williams J., Review of Cave Art by Clottes J.
Lewis-Williams J., Science, religion, and pictures: an origin of image making, Chapter 2, pp 11-40. In Milbrath C & Lightfoot C (eds), Art and Human Development, Psychology Press, London.