ABSTRACT
The history in terms of origins and cultural change concerning traditional games, play and physical culture has fascinated historians and anthropologists since the discovery of late-Stone-Age rock drawings, depicting hunting activities, rituals and dance. Such rock engravings represent various sporting activities, scenes of combat and play manifestations from earlier African civilisations. Patterns of diffusion and acculturation reflect various socio-cultural realities of people living in different historical periods and their cultural contacts spanning different geographical areas. Folklorists and social scientists such as Edward Burnett Taylor and Steward Culling provided intriguing and insightful explanations of the creation of traditional physical culture in terms of play activities, games and sports. Earlier work from the nineteenth century perpetuated the stimulation of cross-dimensional comparisons in terms of intra-cultural time-related changes. Of particular interest for African civilisations, are the pre- and post-colonial comparative study timeframes of research in the field of play, sport and games. Such a discourse intersects with colonial hegemonic practices, ideology and reflects the socio-political realities of the day and context.
I have the most pleasant recollections and dreams about the Transkei of my childhood, where I hunted, played sticks, stole mealies on the cob and where I learnt to count; it is a world which is gone.
(Nelson Mandela)