Metal Detecting ZAR - 9/02/14 Anglo ZULU War of 1879 (PART 1)

Metal Detecting ZAR - Anglo ZULU war 1879 (PART 2)

Can anyone identify the locations?

Metal Detecting South Africa 23rd Feb 2014.

Subject: Metal Detecting Sun Mar 02, 2014 11:59 pm

Hi Pete.
Thanks for posting the Video's much apprciated , he does say he was going to Rorke's Drift , but the video doesnt show Rorkes Drift on his sweep of the area , to me it looked a bit like Khambula with the raised hill and the flat surrounds , I'm only talking of Part 1 of the videos .
90th.

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi Pete,
That countryside shown in the video looks definitely like the Transvaal platteland on the highveld, and the street scenes suggested suburban Middleburg ( 180kms E of Johannesburg) to me. The threatening storm approaching is typical of summer time weather in that region. The presence of a blockhouse in the background of the one clip suggested that too. So, with the empty Mauser cartridges present it would indicate an ABW battleground and relics, somewhere between Middleburg and Bronkhorstspruit. The spent MH heads found were probably fired from a large batch of MH's supplied to the Boers and stamped as such. Neil has knowledge of that deal done.
Now, it is illegal for anyone to fossick around declared " heritage sites" in this country, so perhaps this intrepid fellow need to have his wings clipped.

regards

barry

PS; the Boer descendants talk with awe, still today, of "ou grootbek", old big mouth, the muzzle of the .455 MH.

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi Pete ,

Videos one looks like the N.Natal , the Dundee area. Jeff could probably pin it down quite closely.
Video two looks like the eastern escarpment of the Transvaal ie east of Middleburg. The magnetic rock was probably magnatite.

regards,

barry

Posts : 1069 Join date : 2009-10-16

Hi All
With the Church in the first Video, which looks very similar to a 1879 ILN print of Luneberg, therefore the first video could be Intombi,
Keynshamlighthorse
Rai

Subject: Metal Detecting Mon Mar 03, 2014 11:40 am

Hi Barry
Yes , it's illegal to search for , and keep any battlefield relics pertaining to the Anglo Zulu War , is it the same for Boer War sites ?.
If so , our intrepid ' Collector ' may find himself in a spot of bother !. Our friend does confuse the issue somewhat , in Part I , or before his video rolls , he says he's going to Rorke's Drift , but as we know from his panoramic view it isnt Rorkes Drift ! . He also says it was on Private Propery I'm fairly certain Rorke's Drift isnt on Private Property .
Rai
I think if it was Intombi surely he would've shown the Monument at the Grave area ? . I'm not sure if there is a monument or such at Khambula ? , judging from what I saw it did appear to be similar terrain to the Khambula position ? .
Cheers 90th

The Church is in Kerk Straat Vryheid And Im pretty sure the first site is Intombe Drift and the second Khambula.

Cheers

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

I would go with intombi.

The chap in the video's mention the word museum which museum would that be. And would it be them that allows permission to carryout metal detecting on Battlefield sites?

He went to great lengths to emphasis they were prospecting on private land. Intombi fits that bill but as far as I'm aware Kambula is a declared heritage site and its therefore illegal to dig, mine or use equipment for the purpose of exposing artifacts.

Cheers

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

The masons ring?, was an interesting find, but would they have been made of copper.

Posts : 947 Join date : 2011-10-21 Location : Algoa Bay

Hi All,
South Africa's historical resources were controlled in the past by The SA Monuments Council. That organisation has now morphed into SAHRA, which is the South African Heritage Resource Assoc.
They control all declared battle fields monuments, graveyards, buildings and even ship wrecks older than 60 years within 50kms of the coast. It is strictly illegal in this country for anyone to change, tamper with or remove anything from heritage sites. That prohibition includes "so called" museums.
Private farm land is another matter however.
So, I think the man with that metal detector needs to be watched.
Contact SAHRA man, in Cape Town is Mr Jonathon Sharfman.

regards

barry

Not sure he would be that stupid to post on YouTube if he didn't have the correct permission to do so.
And if as you say

Barry wrote:: "It is strictly illegal in this country for anyone to change, tamper with or remove anything from heritage sites. That prohibition includes "so called" museums."

He certainly woundn't, and he seems to have been doing it for sometime!

Re-Visit Anglo Zulu War battlefield - Oct 2014

Subject: Metal Detecting ZAR - 9/2/14 AZW 1879 PT 1 Sun Oct 26, 2014 11:14 pm

Hi Pete
I assume this chap doesn't realise it's illegal to search for , and take Relics from ANY battlefield in Sth Africa

. it seems at the very start of the video it may have been Hlobane on the left , but about 4 mins in he shows the battlefield very , very quickly I may add , it looks as though he's at Kambula ! , filming from what I think is Hackett's position ! . Wonder what I'd do if I stumbled across a musket ball or two ? Shocked

. Save it for posterity perhaps , scratch

Cheers 90th Salute

[You must be registered and logged in to see this image.]
Water in Background.
Photos by forum member 90th.

"If you look at the relic hunters film about 4 mins in , he's taken the picture much closer to the rocks I believe.? Look at my photo , and its taken from the zulu position on the dung hill . Overlooking the Hackett position. Here are a couple more the first one is looking from the top of the hill toward the zulu position on the dung hill , Hacketts position is the rocky ledge in the middle or so , notice the water off to the left , there is water in his photo , I firmly believe he's certainly detecting at Khambula !"

Posts : 705 Join date : 2012-05-05

Certainly looks like the location.
He must work for an organisation that permits metal dectecting on the various Battlefields. Who owns the land where the Battles took place, is it privately owned?

Subject: Metal Detecting ZAR - 9 / 2 / 14 AZW Pt 1 . Mon Oct 27, 2014 11:32 am

Hi Ray
I dont think there is an organisation that sanctions , or actually searches , for Relics in Sth Africa , Springy would know best about that , as far as I'm aware , its a crime to remove anything , from any battlefield , from any conflict in Sth Africa . I dont think the Battlefield at Khambula is privately owned ? scratch

, It's possible the Cemetery there may well be ? scratch

.
90th

Im pretty sure that a portion of the battlefield is privately owned. At the end of this film he thanks the farm owner.
But this character has made a couple of these movies at different sites.

Cheers

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

We know the rules and reg's. But he don't half make some interesting videos, and he doesn't leave a mess, he quite respectful. But I'm quite enjoying seeing all the MH bullets and various other bits.

Guest

Cant help feeling that its so wrong! and what does
he do with the ' finds '. yes he makes it clear its
on private land, but its protected..men fought and
died there..seems a bit like grave robbing to me.

Subject: Metal Detecting ZAR - 9/2/14 AZW Pt 1 Tue Oct 28, 2014 5:29 am

Hi Springy / All .
I think the Cemetery at Khambula is possibly on private land scratch

, but not the Battlefield , or , as you say , a portion of it may be privately owned scratch

. I'll ask when I go there next year , just need to remember ! Very Happy

Cheers 90th

Posts : 2308 Join date : 2010-07-02 Age : 44

xhosa2000 wrote:: Cant help feeling that its so wrong! and what does
he do with the ' finds '. yes he makes it clear its
on private land, but its protected..men fought and
died there..seems a bit like grave robbing to me.

Yet it okay, for archeologists to dig and metal detect at Isandlwana in the name of a documentary.

Guest

In the event that, that remark was addressed anywhere near,
to, or at me.. i feel even more strongly that Isandhlwana
should have remained untouched after the final burials..
its a mass grave site and should remain inviolate!. you do
understand that i had no responsibility for that documentary.. Very Happy

Posts : 1603 Join date : 2009-09-21

Wonder what happened to the finds, made during the making of the documentary. ?

I'm all for finding relics, as long as they are used for educational purposes, museums, Schools ect.
Can't see the point of letting history rot away when it can teach so much.

Grave robbing different subject!

Guest

Wonder what happened to the finds, made during the making of the documentary. ?

I'm all for finding relics, as long as they are used for educational purposes, museums, Schools ect.
Can't see the point of letting history rot away when it can teach so much.

Grave robbing different subject!..says dave..all a matter of opinion, strong case for
last point.

Posts : 2593 Join date : 2009-04-24

Did he not say in one of the videos that he had permission from a museum or worked for a museum?
I'm not sure he would be stupid enough to post theses videos on a public domain (YouTube) if he hadn't gone about things the right way. He's a South Africa, so no doub't knows the law regarding Battlefields and Metal Detecting. And he would also be aware that someone would be able to identify the locations he detects on. 90th proving the point with his photographs.

» Metal Detecting ZAR - Anglo ZULU war 1879 (PART 2)
» Is metal detecting really a problem
» Anglo-Zulu war as a part of people's childhood memories