Ochre, an iron-rich rock, was the subject of study by International researchers recently.
Found in Oudstshoorn in the Southern Cape, the clay-like sediment appearing in a range of reddish hues, is used primarily as a source of iron. It is also used in paint and cement products. It is more than 300,000 years old, and was previously used in paintings, as repellents for mosquitoes, as skin care products and for medicinal purposes.
Dr Elizabeth Velliky, who works as a Archaeological Research in the Klein Karoo, actually works for the University of Bergen with the SapienCE project under Prof. Christopher Henshilwood (the GCBR’s ambassador of archaeology).
Earlier this year, she and two other archaeologists, Dr Brandi MacDonald and Cuan Hahndiek, journeyed to the Karoo.
Read more about their findings:
https://gouritz.com/archaeological-research-in-the-klein-karoo/#_edn1