...From "Hunters and gatherers today; a socioeconomic study of eleven such
cultures in the twentieth century", edited by M. G. Bicchieri.

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Today, Bushmen live in Botswana, South West Africa, Zambia and Rhodesia. Some of
them still live traditionally in the Kalahari reserve; their population was
about 45000 in 1965.

*** The G/wi Bushmen ***

They number about 2000. The temperatures in the reserve can be as low as 8 F in
winter and as high as 119 F in summer.

--Plant foods: G/wi Bushmen eat a variety of fruits, seeds, leaves and roots.
Due to the scarcity of water, each person must maintain a daily intake of at
least 6-8 pounds.

--Animal products: here is the estimated monthly meat intake in pounds per
person:

S  O  N  D  J  F  M  A  M  J  J  A
4  2  3  10 15 12 11 12 13 14 9  6

or about 1/4 lb per person and per day. Note that this is an average: when no
game is available, G/wi Bushmen can go several weeks without meat.

Due to the sparse distribution of nests, the average annual intake is only 3
ostrich eggs per household (1 ostrich egg is equivalent to a dozen hen's eggs).
They also eat some termites and some ants.

While some plant foods may be eaten without preparation, they are sometimes
cooked to vary the otherwise rather monotonous diet, or mixed with other foods.
There are also some species of esculent plants which are poisonous when raw and
must therefore be cooked. Cooking is limited to the processes of roasting in
coals or ash pits or boiling in a pot.

*** The !Kung Bushmen ***

They number 2000. In Nov. 1964, the population was:

60+ years: 10%
15-59 yrs: 60%
0-14  yrs: 30%

The climate is characterized by hot summers with a 4 month rainy season and by
moderate winters without rainfall.

--Epidemiology: because of the high altitude and dry climate, the Dobe area is
free from many of the infectious diseases that are endemic in tropical Africa:
there is no bilharzia or sleeping sickness; the incidence of parasitic infection
appears to be low. Gonorrhea, introduced by Bantu men returning from the mines,
is the major epidemic disease among adults. Tuberculosis, rheumatic fever,
leprosy, malaria and trachoma are also present. Colds and chronic sniffles
affect the children through the winter months.

--Plant foods: over 100 species, the most important being the mongongo nut
(which has a caloric content of 600 calories per 100 grams and a protein content
of 27%). The mongongo nut accouts for at least half of the vegetable diet by
weight.


--Meat: 20-50% of the diet by weight (is eaten cooked).

--Hunting: men hunt alone or in pairs. In July 1964, they averaged one kill for
every 4 man-days. When an animal has been shot with a poisonous arrow, the
hunter, being reasonably sure that the prey will die during the night, returns
to the main camp and comes back at dawn the next day with 2 to 5 men and women.
It is frequently necessary to drive off lions and hyenas that have gathered in
the night before the meat can be butchered and brought back home.

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Remarks:

 *The book contains much more extremely interesting information about lifestyle,
not only in the Bushmen society but also in many other hunter-gatherer
societies.

 *As you see, the Bushmen are neither raw-fooders, nor vegetarians. Plant foods
however constitute the main part of their diet.

 *In most of the other hunter-gatherer societies, meat consitutes a mch more
important part of the diet.

 *Although health and longevity are good, Bushmen are hardly disease-free.


Best wishes,

Jean-Louis
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