The Bay Of Storms And Tavern Of The Seas : Risk In The Maritime Cultural Landscape Of The Harbor At Cape Town, South Africa

Abstract

South Africa's connection with the sea is most prevalent in its founding harbor at Cape Town. Until the opening of the Suez Canal, the passage around the Cape of Good Hope via Table Bay represented the most important oceanic trading route to the East. The passage, however, became known for its characteristic storms that devastated shipping at Table Bay and developed the area's reputation as the Bay of Storms. This thesis examines the way the British government at the Cape managed the risks associated with using Table Bay and demonstrates how risk is reflected in the historical and archaeological record of Cape Town. Specifically, research will focus on the initial development of the harbor during the Second British occupation at the Cape from 1806 to 1910. This thesis will utilize an amalgamation of social theories pioneered by Anthony Giddens and approaches of risk analysis to examine how risk is incorporated in and reflected by the remains of past societies. A combination of statistical and geo-spatial analyses will be used to reflect the maritime risks of using Table Bay during the selected timeframe. Through the use of these theoretical and methodological foundations, it is possible to assess risk as a measureable entity in the cultural landscape of the harbor. It is ultimately argued that the harbor's historical development was intrinsically linked to the concept of risk and risk management.