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This thesis investigates the last 3600 years at tw o sites in the eastern Free State, and more particularly, possible interaction between hunter-gatherers and agriculturists at Roosfontein Rock Shelter and De Hoop Cave.Both of these sites have a pre-ceramic and a ceramic assemblage which indicates that they were occupied in both pre contact and contact periods.The historical and ethnographic accounts suggest that San hunter-gatherers used many different strategies, such as retreat, warfare and co-operation in the form of trade and client relationships, as and when the situation demanded in dealing with the arrival of agriculturists.A comparison of these tw o sites shows differences between the time period in which they were occupied as well as different occupiers of the sites over time.Roosfontein does not show evidence of co-operative interaction in that few Iron Age items were recovered, therefore, retreat or possible abandonment of the site, in the face of Iron Age expansion into the Free State, has been proposed.The origins of the early adiagnostic pottery are not known, but certain features suggest a pastoralist origin.This pottery could have been obtained through long distance trade.De Hoop shows evidence of possible cooperative interaction with agriculturists during the nineteenth century.It appears that De Hoop was unoccupied during the time period that Roosfontein was inhabited.Roosfontein yielded dates of 1920 + 60BP -1290 + 50BP w hilst the De Hoop dates show a hiatus in occupation 3620.+.60BP, 285CHF6QBP, 180_+40BP.This would explain some of the differences between the tw o sites.
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