by Phaphama Tshisikhawe
On 9 March 2024, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Professor Tinyiko Maluleke unveiled a Blue Plaque of two national heritage sites at Toppieshoek, a Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) property on the banks of Hartbeespoort Dam within the UNESCO designated Magaliesberg Biosphere Reserve.
Prof Tinyiko Maluleke, Vice-Chancellor and Principal unveiling
the Blue Plaque at Toppieshoek.
Toppieshoek is home to the Broederstroom Early Iron Age archaeological site, the earliest known African village in this region, occupied in about AD 350 and the former Leiden University Observatory Southern Station, which includes two historic telescopes built in the early 1900s and operational at Toppieshoek for 25 years until 1978.
Speaking at the unveiling, Prof Maluleke said he is elated that the blue plaque unveiling is not in remembrance of either a war or a war hero.
“I am glad that today, we are commemorating the confluence of historical studies, archaeological studies, astronomy, heritage studies and biodiversity”, he said.
“So here we are, looking at history from the top corner of this sacred valley. Here we are, surrounded by ancestors from the early centuries up to the 1950s, 1970s, 80s and 90s. Here we are, surrounded by artefacts from a thousand years ago, a mountain-range from a billion years ago, a dam from a hundred years ago – a dam under which a dozen other historic villages may be buried. Here we are surrounded by derelict telescopes! And here we are, gathered in this valley where, two thousand years ago, livelihoods were earned, culture was invented, community was built, and bitter wars were fought, too many wars.”
Prof Maluleke also paid tribute to Arnout van Genderen, an archaeologist, from the University of Leiden who discovered the ancient village in 1971.
He described Van Genderen, together with his team Thomas Huffman and Revil Mason, archaeology professors from WITS University, as well as excavators, Jean Mason, Robbie Steel, Lewis Matiyela and Tom Mabane, as scholarly and intellectual ancestors whose pioneering work can never be forgotten.
The authors of the book – The Heritage Treasures of Toppieshoek, Vincent Carruthers and Prof Jane Carruthers from the Magalisberg Association for Culture and Heritage (MACH) were also acknowledged by the Vice-Chancellor for the hard work with astronomers and archaeologists in preparing realistic proposals on how the sites might be restored, responsibly curated and put to practical use for the benefit of the students and public.
Please click here to read Prof Tinyiko Maluleke’s full speech.
