BOKONI’S TERRACED LANDS
‘Primitive’ farm methods beat drought
The Bakoni are one of the few societies in sub-Saharan Africa to have developed terraced farming
Hidden inside the trunks of several ancient trees is the story of the rise and fall of a civilisation. Their tree rings tell of dramatic changes in a 1,000-year-old rain fall record and how a tribe in Mpumalanga evolved their farming methods to cope with long periods of drought. Bakoni are unique — they are one of the few societies in sub-Saharan Africa to have developed terraced farming. Why they did so has recently become clearer because of a growing understanding of weather patterns through the work of dendrochronology or the study of tree rings. Bakoni built their terraced farms close to their villages. They began doing this, believes Alex Schoeman, an archaeologist at Wits University, in response to a tailing off in rainfall in the 1700s. "This allowed them to hold on when other people couldn’t," Schoeman explains. "This system allowed them to flourish." This method of farming, where "steps" are cut into the side of a hill, helps retain water and prevents nutrients in the soil ...
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