Alexander Maré

This project proposes a landscape interpretation centre on the site of Kasteelberg koppie in the Western Cape. Kasteelberg has a long archaeological record of Khoekhoen activity, related to feasting, gathering, and ochre-grinding. 36 archaeological sites have been identified in previous research, of which only 6 have been excavated. Using Kasteelberg, this project explores how an archaeological and architectural intervention can be proposed on the koppie in a relevant and appropriate way, while remaining sensitive to the area’s cultural history and archaeological potential. The themes investigated centre around the mythology and memory of the Khoekhoen inhabitants, their nomadic lifestyles, and their relationship to the earth, all of which serve as informants driving an architectural design. The proposed intervention makes the argument that architecture itself can serve as archaeology.