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San hunter-gatherer society in theLater Stone Age Lived off the environment:

The earliest hunter-gatherers in southern Africa werethe San people.

They mostly survived by hunting Gemsbok and otherantelope and gathering plants.

Hunter-gatherer societies hunt, fish and gather wildplants to survive.

They also move around from place to place, following anomadic way of life.

The invention of the bow and arrow.The San invented their own type of bow and arrow in

order to hunt effectively.

They used a hand bow and arrows with poisoned headsAfter carefully stalking the animal whose tracks they

have been following, they prepare to shoot.

They shoot only once within shooting range.After hitting the animal, the narrow shaft of the arrow

falls on the ground but the poisoned head remains in

the wound, slowly sedating the animal.

It could take days of tracking before the animalcollapses. Once the animal starts to weaken it can beapproached.

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Further suffering is stopped by using spears for a final

blow. This way, San can successfully hunt any animal,no matter what the size.

Social organisationHomes

Hunter-gatherers did not live in permanent houses, butin shelters made of materials they could find aroundthem, like thin branches and tall grass.

Women were responsible for building shelters and coulddo so very quickly.

They never settled in the same campsite, but used thesame waterholes as they moved around.

LandThis also ensured that the land did not become

exhausted.The San also believed that no individual owned the land

and that everybody had the right to use it.Like many groups that depend on the land for survival,

they regard it as sacred and respect it as a gift of God.

FireThe most important part of the San's lives is fire.The men are responsible for making fire and use two

fire sticks that they carry with them at all times.They would rub the two sticks together until it made a

spark to light some dry grass.Their lives revolved around their fire because it

provided warmth, light and a way to cook food.

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The family would also hang their possessions in bushesclose to the fire.

Water

Water was also very important in the dry KalahariDesert and the San stored their precious liquid in theshell of an ostrich eggs under the ground where it

would stay cool.

ClothingThe San's clothing was very simple and made from

available materials like leather from the game theycaught.

Children sometimes only wore beads and the men shortleather pants, while women wore their karosses, orleather cloaks, made of the whole skin of an antelope.

Work and playSan children were not forced to work when they were

young and mostly played and copied the things theirparents did.

The boys would play with little bows and arrows whilethe girls learnt how to dig up food and carry it home,

just like their mothers.

FamilyThe San culture allowed for more than one wife and

three or four families lived together in a group or band.This could be anything from 15 to 40 people.The band's territory is called the n!ore, which is the

place that the people lived, came from and belonged.

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LeadersThe San had no chiefs or leaders and nobody was given

special importance.

MarriageA young person's first wedding was normally arranged

by his or her parents.

At the wedding the young man would have to bring ananimal that he had killed as proof to his in-laws that hecould provide for their daughter.

The bride's mother would adorn her daughter with thefat of this animal and mix it with red powder to drawlines on her cheeks.

The groom would then move in with the families of hiswives to serve them.

Plant medicinesThe San had a lot of knowledge about plants.People are still studying the plants that the San used as

medicine to find out if they work.An example of a plant used by the San is buchu. This is

called everyday magic. It helps people with stomachtroubles.

It is also used in San Religion.The San used a plant called hoodiato stop them from

feeling hungry.

San beliefs and religionThe religion of the San revolves mainly around/Kaggen; the creater of many things.Hes in manymyths portrayed as wise,

foolish, tiresome or helpful.

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/Kaggen translates as mantis which iswhy manypeople believe that the San worship the Preying Mantis

This is not true as /Kaggen can take on different forms,such as animals and men.

Many rituals include the eland cow, because it isbelieved to be /Kaggens favorite animal.

Some rituals include the boys first kill, girls puberty,marriage, and the trance dance, which was done toheal the sick.

Instead of using medicine, they had a medicine man oshaman that does a trance dance to connect with the

spirits to make them leave, therefore causing the illnesto go away.