Archaeologists look at the physical remains left by people who lived in the past: buildings, rubbish dumps: to paraphrase the Wombles “the things that everyday folk leave behind”.

I am an archaeologist specialising in the historic period. Working in the historic period means that we have access to written documents, diaries, survey diagrams and maps. Some of our more traditional colleagues have gone as far as to refer to us as ‘glorified historians’. The written record and the evidence left behind can be complementary as often as contradictory. The challenge of the archaeologist is to make sense of both the written and physical information.

This website was originally set up when I worked as a consultant. It was a satisfying solution to boring CVs and allows me to ramble on about the stuff I love most. I hung up my trowel in 2012, although hopefully not permanently. This website is now somewhat of a personal indulgence... although I do hope to be able to ‘publish’ here some of those projects which are (quite) interesting, but not academic enough for publication in journals.

Historical archaeologist &
Archival researcher

Excavating a refuse dump associated with the military barracks and hospital in Cape Town.

Welgelegen, a market garden in Cape Town.

Plattekloof farm, Plattekloof, Cape Town

Projects and reports
1990 - 2012.

Summary of fieldwork experience.

Harriet Clift

www.hclift.co.za © 2015