San

Definition

The San are an indigenous hunter-gatherer people who have inhabited southern Africa for thousands of years. They are known for their traditional way of life centered around gathering wild plants and hunting wild animals for subsistence.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. The San are skilled hunters, using a variety of tools and techniques to track and kill game, such as bows, arrows, and traps.
2. Gathering wild plants, roots, and berries is a crucial part of the San's subsistence strategy, providing essential nutrients and calories.
3. The San have a deep understanding and connection to the natural environment, which they utilize to find water, shelter, and other resources.
4. Mobility and flexibility are essential to the San's way of life, as they often move between different campsites to follow the availability of resources.
5. The San have a rich cultural heritage, including the creation of intricate rock art, the use of medicinal plants, and the passing down of traditional knowledge through storytelling.

Review Questions

• Describe the primary subsistence strategies used by the San people.
  • The San people are skilled hunter-gatherers, relying on a combination of hunting wild animals and foraging for wild plants, roots, and berries to meet their subsistence needs. Hunting is a crucial part of their strategy, with the San using a variety of tools and techniques to track and kill game. Gathering wild edible resources from the natural environment is also essential, as it provides the San with essential nutrients and calories. The San's deep understanding and connection to the natural world allows them to effectively utilize the resources available in their environment to support their traditional way of life.
• Explain how the San's nomadic lifestyle is adapted to their environment and subsistence needs.
  • The San's nomadic lifestyle is closely tied to the availability of resources in their environment. As hunter-gatherers, the San must constantly move between different campsites to follow the seasonal patterns of game animals and the ripening of wild plants and berries. This flexibility and mobility allows the San to efficiently utilize the resources available in their environment and adapt to changing conditions. By moving between different areas, the San can ensure a consistent supply of food, water, and other essential resources to support their traditional way of life. Their deep understanding of the natural world and their ability to read the landscape enables the San to navigate their environment and identify the best locations for setting up temporary camps.
• Analyze the cultural significance of the San's traditional subsistence practices and their relationship with the natural environment.
  • The San's traditional subsistence practices, centered around hunting and gathering, are deeply rooted in their cultural identity and worldview. Their intimate knowledge of the natural environment and their ability to skillfully utilize its resources are not just practical survival strategies, but also reflect a profound spiritual and cultural connection to the land. The San's hunting and gathering activities are imbued with ritual and symbolic meaning, with the successful procurement of food and other resources seen as a testament to their harmonious relationship with the natural world. This connection is further reinforced through the creation of intricate rock art, the use of medicinal plants, and the passing down of traditional knowledge through oral storytelling. The San's subsistence practices, therefore, are not merely a means of obtaining sustenance, but a way of life that is inextricably linked to their cultural identity and their deep reverence for the natural environment.

Related terms

Foraging:

The act of searching for and collecting wild plants, fungi, and other edible resources from the natural environment.

Nomadism:

The practice of moving from one place to another, often following a seasonal pattern, in search of food, water, and other resources.

Bushman: An alternative term used to refer to the San people, though some consider it to be outdated or potentially offensive.