AE1001
A report on the archaeological investigation of graves on the farm Paardeplaats 380 JT, impacted on by the NBC Glisa coal mining operations, Belfast district Mpumalanga Province
Summary
Archaetnos cc was appointed by NBC Coal (Exxaro), in conjunction with AVBOB Middelburg, to assist with the investigation and exhumation of a number of graves, located on two sites on the farm Paardeplaats 380 JT near Belfast, Mpumalanga. The graves will be impacted on by opencast operations of NBC Glisa Colliery and needed to be exhumed and relocated. A number of descendants or family members were traced during the social consultation process, and some of the graves were therefore identified, although the dates of death were in most cases unknown. The graves were exhumed and relocated to Siyathuthuka Cemetery in Belfast.
Two grave sites were located on the property (Grave Sites 1 & 2). Only Grave Site 1 was exhumed, as the descendants of the graves on Site 2 were unwilling to give consent for the exhumation and relocation. Site 1 will therefore be left intact, and fenced-in.
This document constitutes a final report on the results of the fieldwork undertaken and is associated with Permit BG/09/02/002/87. Each individual burial is photographically documented in Appendix 2. A summarized discussion of the result of the archaeological investigations and exhumations is given in the report.
We believe that the archaeological investigation, exhumation and relocation of the graves from the area were conducted successfully and that the proposed development can continue, taking into consideration the recommendations put forward at the end of the report.
Report by
A. J.Pelser & Dr. A.C. van Vollenhoven(L.AKAD.SA.) and J.van der Walt