INTERACTIVE LAYERS: Palmiet archaeological educational programmes

In 2013 the Trans-Vaal Branch of the SA Archaeological Society (ArchSoc) funded ARROWSA’s Palmiet Nature Reserve Archaeological Educational Programme (PAEP) pilot study in Durban. The successful study drew on several individuals and organisations, and built on previous local archaeological educational programmes to pave the way for outreach to Durban schools, specifically schools in underprivileged areas.

The main objective of the PAEP study was to make school learners aware of the presence and significance of the archaeological heritage of the Palmiet iGwalagwala cliff and surrounds in association with the finds housed at the Bergtheil Museum. Specific objectives were to market the programme to township schools; transfer skills to youth; promote critical thinking about the use of the site by cultures over the ages; update the archaeological content of theprogramme; implement the programme to as many schools as possible; build knowledge capacity; and promote nation-building (Lange 2012).