Cape of storms or cape of good hope? the development of maritime archaeoiogica1 research in South Africa and prospects for the future

This paper provides a brief overview of the maritime cultural heritage of South Africa and some of the constraints that have characterized the development of maritime archaeology in the country. From this more general frame of reference, attention will focus on one specific geographical region. For thousands of years, the Table Bay area has been a meeting point for indigenous people, but during the last 500 years also for others. Besides that, the development of maritime archaeological research since the late 1980s has been concentrating on this region. In the second section, an indication is given of the archaeological potential of Table Bay. From there, attention focuses on four case studies. These relate to different types of archaeological sites that date to different periods, whereas individual research designs and the fieldwork methodology that is being followed for each of them varies. By discussing these projects, it will be demonstrated how diverse South African maritime archaeological research can be. The concluding part of this paper focuses on future development of the field. Previous experiences have shown that the best way to facilitate this development is to support the Southern African Institute of Maritime Archaeology (SAIMA). SAIMA may soon become an institution that will play a leading role in future research in these parts. This is important from an international perspective, as many links exist between traces of past maritime activities that can be found in the waters and on the shores of southern Africa, and the history of other nations elsewhere in the world. © 2003 WIT Press.