Andrew Anderson and the nineteenth century origins of southern African archaeology

Abstract

Most of those whose contributions to the development of southern African archaeology in the nineteenth century have been valued by later archaeologists, seem to have come from privileged social backgrounds that allowed them ready access to international learned societies, museums and publications. Andrew Anderson, a polymath but someone of comparatively little education or social standing, has been largely written out of these narratives. Combining previously published sources with new information obtained during work on the southern African collections of the British Museum, this paper first constructs Anderson's biography. It then examines his interests in Stone Age archaeology, rock art and the monuments of the Zimbabwe Tradition, assessing his knowledge and observations within the context of his time, before considering why he has largely escaped the attention of later archaeologists.

To cite this paper: Mitchell, P. 2001. Andrew Anderson and the nineteenth century origins of southern African archaeology. Southern African Humanities 13: 37-60.