JWANENG PROFILE Advert and Map Free Edition

HISTORY
Middle Age to 1984
the making of the Diamond town
Pre Historic
The Naledi valley region (where Jwaneng is
presently located) has been inhabited since the
early and middle age as sites have recorded.
Pottery similar to Eiland was found 90km west of
Jwaneng at Sekoma Pan, possibly dating to the
th
18 century. Oral traditions narrate that
Bakgalagadi were living there during the Mfecane
period. Further cultural materials have been
recovered from Jwana Hill in Naledi valley, which
include Middle Stone Age tools and recent
materials in the form of potsherds associated
with Bakgalagadi tribe.
An array of researches and studies conducted by
renowned archeologists and historians around
Jwaneng Town and environs provide invaluable
background information in terms of potential for
discovery of Acheulian sites and other
archeological finds and resources in the area.
Pre-mining Era
The earliest inhabitants of the region which now
include Jwaneng (Ngwaketse West) were small
bands of Basarwa hunter-gathers. It is not
known when they inhabited this area, but
indications show that Basarwa had lived in
certain regions of the Kalahari for over 11000
year with the movement of southern Tswana
groups closer to the original communities in the
areas. The Bakgalagadi communities moved
deeper into the Kalahari Desert in search of
undisturbed lands as well as to establish new
settlements.
JWANENG TIME LINE
hunter-gatherers
pre-mining era
beginning of
explorations in
1969
1970-71
discovery of
first “probable”
kimberlitic ilmenites
across kweneng/ngwaketse
discovery of
Jwaneng kimberlite by
Stuart Vercoe and Norman Lock
using small vole drill
1972
tswana pastoral farmers
Jwaneng Town Profile 2017
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