to the uppermost levels of occupation and what they can reveal about indigenous-colonial interaction. Too often, levels containing artifacts of colonial origin have been labeled “disturbed” and disregarded in analyses.

The work of HARG was planned and coordinated with the aim of gaining as much knowledge as possible in the shortest possible time. Urgency was necessary because of the vast amount of large-scale reconstruction and development taking place in the city and its surroundings. Although there was some awareness of the importance of preserving colonial heritage, the contribution historical archaeology could make was not realized in the mid-1980s, and little, if any, excavation was undertaken. Restoration of buildings was placed almost solely in the hands of architects. If any research was done at all, it centered around information lodged in the Deeds Office. Finds were not systematically collected, analyzed, and interpreted, and the context went unrecorded. The result was the virtual destruction of too many important historical sites.

Fortunately, this situation has improved greatly as is demonstrated by a flourishing Contracts Office that is loosely affiliated with and operating out of the University of Cape Town’s Department of Archaeology. A similar arrangement exists at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. Most developers and their architects now work more closely with contract archaeologists and appreciate the importance of archaeological surveys being conducted before development begins. What is more, stricter legislation now governs the disturbance of all archaeological material, and the appointment of professional archaeologists to senior posts on the National Monuments Council, the body that oversees heritage matters, ensures that the laws are more strictly enforced.

Exciting recent work by the Contracts Office includes the uncovering of part of an early-eighteenth-century VOC fortification, the Chavonnes Battery, on the Cape Town waterfront. In nearby Cobern Street, a number of skeletons have been unearthed from unmarked burial grounds. Analysis of the numerous grave goods, combined with isotopic analysis, will inform us of burial practices in the early days of the colony. More recently, other skeletons have come to light on the waterfront from a site not marked as a cemetery on the available maps.

Until the nineteenth century, intercontinental travel was, of course, only possible by sea, and because of the notoriously dangerous seas off the coast of southern Africa, many ships were lost. These wrecks have provided rich pickings for treasure hunters, but here, too, the situation has improved considerably since the late 1980s when a professional maritime archaeologist, Bruno Werz, began operating out of Cape Town. Like developers, maritime salvage operators have begun to appreciate the value of preservation and what historical archaeology is about. Confrontation has largely been eliminated and replaced with cooperation.

One of the most important projects undertaken by Werz was the underwater excavation of the VOC ship Oosterland, which sank in Table Bay in 1697. Remains of the rich cargo (including oriental ceramics, spices, dyes, and tropical woods) as well as objects used on the ship (items of clothing, cutlery, baskets, cannons, guns) were brought to the surface with the assistance of divers who were not trained archaeologists. While their skills were being utilized, they were educated in the principles of historical archaeology and the value of systematic underwater excavation. This type of training has done much to foster good relations between maritime salvage operators and divers on the one hand and professional archaeologists on the other. Another outcome of Werz’s work is that several students have shown an interest in specializing in maritime archaeology.

The Dutch occupation of the Cape came to an end with the bankruptcy of the VOC in 1795. At the request of the Batavian government, the British took over the Cape and held it in custody until 1803, when it once more reverted to Dutch rule. This reversion was to be no more than a brief interlude, however, as the colony fell permanently to the British in 1806.

Although HARG’s research program began with the Dutch period, there has always been a strong interest in the British occupation as well. This focus is, again, in no small measure owing