Sidney Miller was born in Krugersdorp, a small mining town close to the main gold reefs of Johannesburg in 1954. He obtained the B.Sc. (Eng.) Civil degree from the University of Pretoria in 1980, where he also volunteered at the University's Department of Archaeology. Miller also served in the National Defence Force for three years.

After working as a civil engineer for six years, Miller completed a Masters degree in Architecture focussing on the conservation of indigenous architecture and archaeology at the University of the Witwatersrand in 1990.

From 1993 to 1996, Miller worked at Thulamela, "reconstructing" where the village walls were, excavating two royal graves and "reinstating" them in conjunction with local communities.

Since then, Miller has done freelance work at sites from as recent as the 1800's and from as long ago as the Stone Age. He has also curated the UNISA museum of Anthropology and Archaeology and taught archaeological field work. He is at present developing a thesis on the interaction between people and their heritage, focusing on African heritage sites.

Miller's response:
With the great distance between South Africa and California, and the different local conditions, it will be difficult for me to guide you on how to get involved with archaeology in your region.

Normally one could approach either museums or Universities in your area and ask to see your local archaeologist/s. They normally will accept people doing volunteer work in the museum or on digs.

Secondly, UNISA (The University of South Africa) a correspondence institution, hosts an excellent Department of Anthropology and Archaeology that provides courses in Southern African archaeology. Dr Jan Boeyens head of the archaeology department, can be contacted at 2712 429 6418 during local office hours for more information.

Miller's response:
The Venda people are in fact descendants of the Zimbabwean empire. As such, their own villages and "settlement pattern" were, until the onset of modern town planning practices, very similar to the older "MaZimbabwe". I say "similar" because of time and spatial conditions change from the originals to the recent. Also, the scale of population differs, owing to the socio-economic-political conditions of any point in time:- thus the scale of towns such as Great Zimbabwe Khami and Dhlo-Dhlo were never repeated South of the Limpopo.

Miller's response:
Thulamela is at present open to the public and can be visited on a guided tour basis by National Parks officials. The tours leave from Punda Maria and the duration of the visit is normally two hours. If you are interested on combining a trip to Thulamela with other and just as interesting sites in the Limpopo basin you can contact me as we frequently work in the area. (millesm@unisa.ac.za )

Miller's response:
Part of the previous government's strategy in their domination of a majority was to encourage the impression of black South Africans as a "people without a past". The study of archaeology in South Africa was therefore frowned upon, even though it was allowed to proceed in a limited fashion.

On the other hand, archaeology as a science is relatively young in South Africa, and "real" research into the history of black South African only started in the late 1960's and early 1970's. It is especially important to note that the information of Agro-Pastoralists living in Southern Africa from as early as the fourth century were only brought to light as late as the late 1970's and early 1980's. It is then also my humble opinion that much of this "new" information found by my colleagues and myself have helped to shift the scales towards the new dispensation.

As far as Thulamela is concerned, I did the research between 1993 and 1996, spanning the political transformation of South Africa. As such, the political situation greatly helped to make it known to the South African people that they in fact have one of the most interesting records of human habitation in the world.

At present, there is obviously all the verbal support for archaeological work, but, as in most countries, there are always only limited funds available to bring to light these gems of the past.

Miller's response:
The people lived at Thulamela between approximately 1300 and 1650. In this time, as far as we know, nobody wrote anything down on paper about Thulamela, for the plain reason that no literate people from either the East or the West visited Thulamela. On the other hand, Africa recorded much of its own past by means of oral tradition. In these records, we have also not found any direct reference to Thulamela as such. In the Venda council of elders, it is generally accepted that Thulamela is but one of a group of ruins belonging to the people generally referred to as the Vha Lembethu- one of the several groupings within the Venda nation.

Several of these "old" chieftainships still exist, although they do not retain many followers, owing to modern political transformation.

I personally have witnessed some of the tribal relics such as engraved battle axes, Ndoro's glass beads and gold bracelets in possession of one of the chiefs. That shows the connection between these people and the Thulamela group of ruins.

Unfortunately, we live in the 21st century and people mostly (even here in Africa) live modern lives. Traditions are difficult to uphold in a modern world, and, in some ways, it is unfair to expect of people to "live like their forefathers". Tradition should therefore be seen as something that is in a continuous process of change and not a rigid set of rules.

Miller's response:
People lived at Thulamela for 350 years, at times as many as several hundred. I have worked on Thulamela for three and a half years. It is impossible to recreate the full story of the lives of these people and their interaction with other people and the natural environment. What really interest me though is to make the limited amount of information that we do have about Thulamela and similar sites to the attention of the world at large, and South Africans specifically.

Knowledge about the achievements of our ancestors, about the difficulties they had with survival and about them as "people" is important to all societies. This knowledge provides us with an identity and fosters respect between groups and for one self.

And, finally, one will never know the answers to all the questions- that is the greatest thing about archaeology.