Benjamin Marais of Iziko Museums in Cape Town will be presenting the background and findings of his recent Masters dissertation titled: "Space and Material Culture: An Archaeological Investigation of a mid-19th-Century Fort on The Eastern Frontier".
Benjamin will present remotely and will be available online to answer any questions at the conclusion of the talk.
The Eastern Cape Province of South Africa is a territory where conflict has occurred for much of its recent history. During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, between 1779 and 1878, nine Frontier Wars took place.
Research on forts and other frontier sites in the area has been limited, and little was known archaeologically about the Waterkloof triangle and Fort Fordyce, which was constructed in 1852 during the Eighth Frontier War (1850 – 1853). The name ‘Fort Fordyce’ memorialises Lieutenant-Colonel John Fordyce, who was mortally wounded during a skirmish on 6 November 1851.
While a visit to Fort Fordyce gives an impression of the powerful landscape and the choice of siting, it is only an archaeological excavation that can precisely define the extents and uncover lost artefacts revealing another aspect of the lives of the occupants.
This research investigates the spatial arrangements of Fort Fordyce and assesses the material culture recovered during excavations. Survey and mapping were key components of the research and led to a better understanding of this little-known site around which some of the fiercest frontier fighting took place.
As a single site could not overlook both Fuller’s Hoek and the Waterkloof, two square redoubts were built, about 100 metres apart. Both were located on high ground, however neither fort overlooked the Waterkloof, and the view of Fuller's Hoek was very poor from both locations. The forts were both square in plan, each with two bastions in opposite corners.
The surrounding area was named Mount Pleasant, after a nearby farm, and this was subsequently used in official military dispatches. Later the soldiers named the area Mount Misery instead, because of the dreadful weather experienced and the killing and maiming that occurred there.
Who is Benjamin Marais?
Benjamin completed an Honours degree in Archaeology at UCT, a Masters in Archaeology at UNISA, joined IZIKO MUSEUMS in 2016 and is now their Assistant Collections Manager.
- Date: Saturday 19 September 2026 at 14:30
- Venue: Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer Hall at the East London Museum
The talk is a precursor to the planned BHS tour to Fort Fordyce from Friday 16 to Sunday 18 October 2026. More information about the tour will be provided at the talk and a detailed itinerary will be circulated by e-mail.