Biological and Archaeological
Research
and Internships
Lajuma Research Centre
The Lajuma Research Centre provides research and volunteer opportunities to students and volunteers from foreign countries and from local disadvantaged communities. To date more than 250 students and volunteers ranging from pre-university to Ph.D. have participated in the Lajuma programme or conducted their own projects. The Centre is managed by Ian and Retha Gaigher, both with Ph.D. degrees and more than 30 years of research and teaching experience, and their son, Stephan, who is a practicing archaeologist.
Our mission is to build up a data base of the environment, bio-diversity, ecology and archaeology of this unique part of South Africa with the assistance of local and international universities. We presently provide internships for students of or have links with academics at the following institutions: University of Wageningen (Netherlands), Durham University (UK), University of Illinois (USA), Claremont Colleges (USA), Texas Tech University (USA), American University (USA), Humboldt Institute (Germany) and University of Venda (SA).
The Environment
Vegetation varies considerably from montane grassland to woodland, thicket and mistbelt forest. The reserve contains a remarkable diversity of plants, including a large number of endemics and rare and endangered species. Large mammals include mountain reedbuck, red and grey duiker, klipspringer, bushbuck, kudu, warthog, aardvark and bush pig. All five South African primate species - lesser bushbaby, greater bushbaby, vervet monkey, Sykes monkey and chacma baboon - occur in abundance. We have a variety of predator species such as mongoose, honey badger, genet, serval, caracal, civet, brown hyaena and an unusually high concentration of leopard.
Lajuma does not present the typical perceived African environment of savanna, dust, heat, galloping herds of antelope and lions roaring at night. It does however present a unique wilderness area with a remarkable diversity of plants and animals, beautiful mountain scenery, remote, unpolluted and tranquil yet within an hours’s drive of an urban centre and access to, communication and shopping centres and good medical facilities. You will not hear lions roaring at night but you will experience tranquillity with more stars than you ever imagined existed. You will hear fruit bats squeaking, bush babies calling, a wood owl duet or a baboon giving a warning call from a cliff, possibly for seeing a leopard in the moonlight.
Trips to other sites in the area
Students and volunteers will be assisted with the planning of trips to other interesting sites in the area such as the Kruger National Park, The Tuli Wilderness in Botswana, the Mapungubwe National Park and the Machabeng Plateau. A four wheel drive vehicle is available for rent at a reasonable cost. “
Biological Research and Volunteering
We offer three different programmes for students
and volunteers, namely:
The cost is the same for all programmes and participants can change from one programme to another at any stage. For example, a participant could spend the first month (or a shorter period) in the general volunteer programme and then become a focused volunteer or a research student and vice versa. Participants can arrive and leave at any date and stay for any period longer than14 days.
Student research programme
Suitable for post graduate students (Masters or Ph.D.) or students who have to write an extensive paper for their diploma or degree. These students ideally have to obtain relevant literature and prepare a project outline before their arrival at Lajuma. We will assist you with the selection and structuring of a project based on your academic background and field of interest and with the prior planning of the project through email. After arrival you will receive an orientation and be trained in the techniques that you will use. At this stage the project proposal will also be finalised. Students will not be constantly supervised and will work largely independently or perhaps in groups or with a volunteer to assist them. Technical advice such as plant identification or equipment use will be available whenever required throughout the duration of the project.
Students can select a project of their own or participate in one of the following main research fields (more information on the programmes will be provided on request).
- Resource use, predator avoidance, social dynamics and range in overlapping populations of Chacma Baboon, Sykes Monkey and Vervet Monkey. These populations are already well-habituated to human presence.
- The ecology and management of Leopard and other large predators in the Western Soutpansberg
- The ecological dynamics of “islands of fertility” in a savannah woodland
- Application of foraging theory (based on giving up density) to assess habitat use, predator avoidance and community processes in rodents and large mammals.
- The diversity, behaviour and population dynamics of reptiles and amphibians
- Cross species information transfer in a vertebrate community
Volunteer programme
Students or anyone interested in biological research can assist with ongoing research projects. These groups will be supervised in a structured programme that extends over monthly cycles and includes visits to areas away from Lajuma. If they have to write a report it can be in the form of a diary or it can cover one of the aspects and include information that was gathered by previous groups. For example, if they elect to write a report on the diversity of reptiles at Lajuma they will be given background information on the reptiles of the region and they will have access to information collected by other “research students” or volunteers, including climatic, vegetational and other relevant data. We anticipate the following cycle of activities, based on ongoing research projects, during each calendar month:
General survey techniques,
Predators,
Primates,
Amphibians and reptiles,
Mammals (antelope and small mammals),
Vegetation mapping and phenology,
Bird ringing and analysis of bird vocalisation,
Invertebrate diversity,
Rural conservation
Elephant management.
The programme will include visits to the Kruger National Park, the Makgabeng Plateau, and the Tuli Wilderness in Botswana. You will spend about three days on each topic and this will include a power point introduction to the topic, a discussion of field techniques, a discussion of conservation or management aspects and field work. Participants have to cover the real cost of field trips including fuel, accommodation and National Park entrance fees
Archaeological volunteering
Archaeological Programme
Man has been associated with the Soutpansberg Mountain Range for most of human history. Two million year old hominid remains have been excavated in the vicinity and archaeological evidence from the mountain illustrates a succession of occupation extending from the early Stone Age through the San, who left their rock paintings, and followed by the Zhizo cultures and proto-Shona such as Mapungubwe and Khami and later by Sotho-Tswana and Venda speaking groups.
The most prominent Lajuma sites are thought to date largely from the later phase of Venda occupation and the evidence suggests that they are refuge sites used in times of war and unrest. They are likely to be associated with the Mfecane / Difaqane periods of the early 1800s when Mzilikazi’s warriors were raiding the area and also to the later period following the first white settlements at Soutpansbergdorp and Schoemansdal and the subsequent period of raiding and skirmishes between the Boer settlers and the native Venda people.
A general survey of the Lajuma area has yielded more than fifty sites with signs of human occupation or activity. Some of these, such as the Leopard Trail Site are of more considerable significance. The Leopard Trail site is situated at the summit of a relatively inaccessible rocky ridge cut by numerous deep, interconnected ravines leading down to a grassy plateau in the north. To the south it is bounded by high vertical cliffs and these features made it an easily defensible hideaway for people and their livestock. A number of interesting finds have been made so far including eggshell beads, glass trade beads, iron implements, pottery and the remains of rifles and muskets dating from the early 19th Century.
To complement its ongoing research and conservation initiatives in the Soutpansberg, the Lajuma Research Centre is keen for students with an archaeological or historical background or interest to become involved in a research project with the aim of compiling a report on the historical occupation of the area.
The project includes the mapping and documentation of occupational sites and the recording of significant features, for example stone walling or grinding holes, using standard surveying techniques. A more detailed surface analysis of artefacts is undertaken and a photographic database of in situ finds compiled. In addition to surveying and documenting major sites, such as the Leopard Trail Site, surrounding sites are documented and any relationship to the main site determined. Research is undertaken to correlate any findings with the known history of the region. This includes comparisons of pottery remains to establish the culture and period as well as the identification and dating of the various trade beads, buttons and weapons. Additional information is gained through interviews with local people and discussions with archaeologists and historians in the region.
Other Activities
Students and volunteers will have the opportunity to visit other interesting archaeological sites in the region. These include:
The Diepkloof Rock Art Shelter
Adjacent to Lajuma, this site was seemingly used for ritual purposes as there is little evidence of habitation apart from a few stone age tools. The site contains over 150 individual images and is of significance for its hand prints.
Schoemansdal Museum
This open air museum is situated on the site of the first European town in the region and shows various aspects of the life of these early settlers.
Makgabeng Plateau
The Makgabeng is one of the “undiscovered” archaeological sites in South Africa. Approximately 360 rock art sites and many old settlements have recently been recorded here.
Mapungubwe National Park and World Heritage Site
One of Southern Africa’s premier archaeological sites, 12th Century Mapungubwe and the adjacent, older Schroda and K2 settlements clearly illustrate the sequence of development of the regions first substantial trading state.
Tuli Wilderness in Botswana
Across the Limpopo River from Mapungubwe, Tuli is today renowned for its wilderness value and its elephant herds. However it contains significant rock art and archaeological sites, the latter related to the Schroda, K2 and Mapungubwe civilisations.
Costs
The accommodation fee is R3000 (about US$ 400 depending on exchange rate) per month, payable monthly in advance. The first payment is due on arrival. In the case of arrival or departure during a calendar month, the fee will be based on the number of nights spent in the programme during that month. The accommodation fee cannot be reduced for absence due to field trips or private traveling.
| - |
Accommodation equipped with hot showers, flush toilets, a gas stove, fridge, tapped water, washing machine, gas, firewood and electricity (220v). The electricity is generated at a waterfall and is not suitable for high wattage equipment such as kettles and hair driers.
|
| - |
Assistance with projects (see description in previous section)
|
| - |
The use of available scientific equipment
|
| - |
Transport from and to the bus terminus in Makhado (Louis Trichardt)
|
| - |
Transport will be provided to Makhado once a week for shopping, visits to an internet café, landline phone calls, etc.
|
| - |
Transport to Makhado for medical emergencies
|
|
| - |
Meals
|
| - |
Medical costs
|
| - |
The cost of consumables for research projects
|
| - |
Fixed line telephone, fax or email costs
|
| - |
Transport from and to an airport.
|
| - |
We provide a pillow and a sheet but participants have to bring their own sleeping bag and towels.
|
| - |
Transport to Louis Trichardt (Makhado) for private travelling.
|
|
Contact Ian Gaigher at:
|
| |
(+27) 15 593 0352 (landline / fax)
(+27) 83 308 7027 (mobile)
|
| |
leopard@lajuma.com |
