The Khoisan People Khoisan is a term used by physical
anthropologists to distinguish the aboriginal people of southern
Africa from their black African farming neighbours. The original
San hunter-gatherer groups lived on this land for approximately
100 000 years before the arrival of other black people and
European settlers. When the pastoral KhoiKhoi appeared 2 000
years ago they saw people similar to them in physical
appearance, but with a different culture. They called these
elders of the land 'the San', which means 'people different from
ourselves'. The San men usually hunted antelope using bows and
arrows smeared with poison. Before a hunt, a shaman would
conduct a religious ceremony. He would enter a trance and his
vision was recorded on a rock by way of painting. This rock art
is now a central feature of our heritage. The Khoi brought
pastoralism to the San – with their sheep and cattle
contributing to a balanced diet. Unlike the San, who did not
live in a hierarchical society, the Khoi had a complex so