Cape Town, South Africa, was initially founded by the Dutch as a refreshment station on the long journey to Asia. Soon, this settlement developed into an important participant in the network of the...Show moreCape Town, South Africa, was initially founded by the Dutch as a refreshment station on the long journey to Asia. Soon, this settlement developed into an important participant in the network of the Indian Ocean slave trade. From the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries, more than 63,000 enslaved individuals were imported by both the Dutch East India Company and private traders. These individuals came from a large variety of areas surrounding the Indian Ocean basin and therefore, many different cultures were introduced to the Cape. The start of the slave trade between Asia and Africa dates back several millennia, and it has subjected an equal amount of people to slavery as the Trans-Atlantic slave trade. Until recently, however, little research has been carried out regarding the Indian Ocean slave trade. The aim of this thesis is to create a better understanding of the impact slavery had on Cape Town’s society, both in the past and in contemporary times. Humanising the victims of the slave trade is crucial in this study, which will be emphasized throughout the entire thesis. In order to do so, research will be focused on the origins of enslaved people and the cultural aspects that were part of their identities. This will be accomplished by studying strontium isotope analyses conducted by multiple researchers, on buried human remains from four cemeteries in Cape Town, as well as analysing dental modifications. The results from these two components will be compared to historical data about the Indian Ocean slave trade and the practicing of slavery within the Cape Colony. This will allow for a greater understanding on how these individuals are part of the whole system, and to possibly argue whether there can be patterns observed regarding origins. Slavery in Cape Town had an enormous impact on the way the colony developed itself and in the composition of ethnic groups within its society. This resulted in a multicultural town where the cultural practices of the many enslaved people are still visible today.Show less
Master thesis | Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology (MSc)
open access
The music genre of psytrance has been localised throughout the globe. Especially now we can see that in postmodern times, where identities have become increasingly fluid and fractured, populations...Show moreThe music genre of psytrance has been localised throughout the globe. Especially now we can see that in postmodern times, where identities have become increasingly fluid and fractured, populations are looking for a place where they can find community and belonging. And it seems that in a post-Apartheid Cape Town where segregation was such a big part of life, being able to have a space to come together away from the structure of racial categorisation is important. Cape Town has a large following of the psytrance outdoor festival scene, however, not much has been written about the psychedelic trance scene in Cape Town. This study examines the psytrance scene in Cape Town, South Africa. Two months of research attending and observing at psytrance outdoor festivals in the Cape Town area, using audio visual recordings, and semi-structured interviews. The thesis comprises of a text and ethnographic film. The text touches upon the outdoor psytrance festival culture in Cape Town, looking at the need that people have to attend these multiple day outdoor festivals. Escape, reconnecting with nature and the active meditation that comes with dancing to repetitive and psychedelic music. My key research finding is that the outdoor psytrance festivals give Capetonians a space where they can escape their daily lives, work through problems that they might have, and create a sense of community and identity.Show less
