Uncover the rich and complex history of the Western Cape, from its indigenous roots to European settlement and the birth of a diverse nation.
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Layers of History in the Cape
This series, Echoes of the Cape, traces the deep history of the Western Cape — from its earliest human origins to the complex legacies that define it today.
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1
A Hundred Thousand Years of Heritage
The Western Cape holds some of the oldest evidence of modern human behavior anywhere on Earth.
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2
A Garden at the Edge of Empire
The Dutch East India Company never intended to colonize southern Africa.
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3
A Language Born From Many Tongues
Afrikaans is often mistakenly called a simplified form of Dutch, but its roots run far deeper.
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4
Africa's Oldest Colonial Building Still Stands
The Castle of Good Hope is the oldest surviving colonial building in South Africa, and it was never actually attacked.
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5
Robben Island's Centuries of Confinement
Long before apartheid, Robben Island served as a place of banishment.
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6
Many Roots One City Cape Town
Cape Town's Bo-Kaap neighborhood tells a story in color — rows of houses painted bright pink, turquoise, and lime green by Cape Malay descendants who, after emancipation…
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