Ethno-ecology project leader (Ethno-entomology section)

New Ethno-entomology display at the Transvaal Museum

A traditional hut has been completed in the invertebrate displays of the Transvaal Museum, to illustrate human interactions with insects. This display focuses on cultural issues that can be used in the study of insects (Entomology), and recognizes the importance of Indigenous Knowledge in Natural History displays. It would also make museums more interesting to local and foreign visitors. Previously marginalized local communities can now see aspects of entomology that are relevant to their own history and culture.

When the first people lived in Africa more than 3,5 million years ago, insects had already been here for about 300 million years. People have always lived with insects and interacted with them in many ways. Some insects such as mopani worms, grasshoppers and termites are used as a food source. Before sugar was introduced, the only sweetener available was honey from bees.

For building, people often used clay from termite mounds to plaster the walls of their huts. Termites and people also share a long history with technological progress, as clay from the mounds was also used to build ovens and furnaces for iron production. A termite colony could also provide a convenient source of food when the winged individuals took to the air for dispersal. In fact, a termite mound was such an important resource, that many villages were originally established near them.

Once a suitable site had been chosen, the next step in the building of a hut was to build the framework. This ‘skeleton’ of the hut provides a supporting structure on which to build, and serves the same function as the skeleton of a vertebrate. This is necessary before the walls can be plastered with clay. The framework was usually constructed with wood, sticks and reeds. The main supports were usually made of hard wood which was more or less impervious to termite damage. These supports were sunk into the ground to make the structure strong. Before the plaster is applied, it is mixed with water. As the clay dries, cracks open, and these need to be re-plastered until the walls are dry and without cracks. Once the plaster is dry, the walls have a rigidity of their own and the internal skeleton is no longer necessary. At this stage, the hut is like an insect or an invertebrate in that it has a hard outer skeleton or exoskeleton. Even if the sticks and reeds inside the walls are subsequently eaten by termites, the walls can stand alone as a clay shell. Clay has outstanding insulation properties against heat and cold, and air gaps within the clay help with the insulation. This is one of the reasons that building bricks often contain holes. Since termites could move around within the walls, the thatch roof needs to be protected. This was done by leaving a gap between the walls and the thatch roof. Unfortunately, the gaps would also allow undesirable insects like mosquitoes to enter, and the thatch could be seen as a good hiding place for insects. So how did the people protect themselves and their food from insects? The most important way of keeping unwanted pests out of a sleeping or cooking hut was by burning a fire in the center of the hut. Smoke from a fire is generally repulsive to insects, but special plants are also selected for this purpose. Excessive smoke could leave the hut through the gap between the walls and the thatch. Apart from protecting the inhabitants from mosquitoes and other pests, a smoldering fire can also be used to produce smoke to protect food from pests. Meat can be smoked to protect it from flies. Grain products such as maize or sorghum were stored in the rafters of the hut, but some people made a special rack above the fire for the storage of seeds for planting.

Apart from the insects mentioned above, there are others that are important as traditional medicines, in children's games, as inspiration for art and in songs about insects. Unfortunately, little is known about the traditional uses of insects, but there is now a growing interest in Indigenous Knowledge Systems and several people are now working on insects that are culturally or traditionally important.

Reference.

TOMS, R.B. 2001. Insects and traditional huts. Easy Science 2001(3): 11-13.