セントラル・カラハリ・サンにおける採集活動

抄録

The Central Kalahari San have been significantly changing their traditional subsistence and way of life under the influence of the sedentarization program of the Botswana government. Gathering, which formerly supplied 80% of their diet in caloric value, has receded greatly, with the vegetable resources around the settlement overly exploited in a short period of time. However, they still continue gathering activities. Collecting firewood and building materials is needed more than before. The purpose of this study is to analytically describe the features of their gathering activities at the present time.
Comparing the pre-and post-sedentarization time, the author finds that the San's gathering activities have remarkably changed in quantity: frequency, time length and harvest amount; but not in quality: their favorite plant species, methods and group formation in gathering. Their gathering is more frequently done in groups than individually, and group gathering shows greater efficiency. The size of a group depends on the seasonal and spacial change of plant distribution, and the distance to the collecting site. The author emphasizes the significance of social interaction processes such as cooperation and information exchange in group gathering.