Blaauboschkraal stone ruins, Provincial heritage ruins in Waterval Boven, South Africa
Blaauboschkraal stone ruins is an archaeological site in Waterval Boven, South Africa, spread across several slope terraces along a river valley. The site consists of circular enclosures of varying sizes, built with dry-stacked boulders and connected by narrow passages.
The Bokoni built this settlement in the 16th century as part of a larger network combining agricultural terraces and livestock pastures. By the 18th century, inhabitants left the area following regional conflicts and population movements.
The walls show how the Bokoni adapted their settlements to steep slopes, stacking local stones so they would hold for centuries without mortar. Visitors can still recognize how spaces for people and animals were separated by the different diameters of the stone circles.
Anyone coming here needs sturdy shoes, as the paths cross loose stones and uneven sections between the ruins. The sun stands high at midday, so a visit in the morning or late afternoon is more comfortable and lights the stone shapes better.
Some of the larger circles still contain remains of terraces once used for irrigation and growing millet. In certain spots, shallow steps lead between the levels, designed so that rainwater drains in a controlled way.
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