Mapungubwe
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| Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape* | |
|---|---|
| UNESCO World Heritage Site | |
| State Party |  South Africa |
| Type | Cultural |
| Criteria | ii, iii, iv, v |
| Reference | 1099 |
| Region† | Africa |
| Inscription history | |
| Inscription | 2003 (27th Session) |
| * Name as inscribed on World Heritage List. † Region as classified by UNESCO. |
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Mapungubwe was a city in what is now northern South Africa. Flourishing from 1050 AD to 1270 AD at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers (), it marked the center of a pre-Shona kingdom which covered parts of modern-day Botswana and Zimbabwe. The site of the city is now a World Heritage Site, national park, and archaeological site.
The Mapungubwe Landscape was declared a World Heritage Site on 3 July 2003.
Mapungubwe means "place where jackals eat", derived from phunguvhwe (Venda for jackal), as the hill was littered with human bones which attracted these scavengers.[1] It is a sandstone hill, with vertical cliffs about 30 metres high and a plateaued top approximately 300 m in length. The hill was inhabited for about seventy years between 1220 AD and 1290 AD.
Contents |
[edit] Society
| Historical nation-states of present-day South Africa (including Boer republics and TBVC states) |
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Mapungubwe (1050-1270) |
Mapungubwean society was "the most complex in southern Africa".[2] It is thought by archaeologists to be the first class-based social system in southern Africa; that is, its leaders were separated from and higher in rank than its inhabitants.
Life in Mapungubwe was centered around family and farming. Special sites were created for initiation ceremonies, household activities, and other social functions. Cattle lived in kraals located close to the residents' houses, signifying their value.
Most speculation about society continues to be based upon the remains of buildings, since the Mapungubweans left no written or oral record.
[edit] Discovery
After Mapungubwe's fall, it was forgotten until 1932. On New Year's Eve 1932, E. S. J. van Graan, a local farmer and prospector, and his son, a former student of the University of Pretoria, discovered the wealth of artifacts on top of the hill. They reported the find to Professor Leo Fouché of the University of Pretoria, paving the way for excavations that continue to this day.
As many gold artifacts were found, Mapungubwe's location was initially kept secret for fear of looting. The artifacts found dated from approximately 1000 AD to 1300 AD and consisted of a variety of materials such as pottery, trade glass beads, Chinese celadon ware, gold ornaments (including the famous golden rhino), ceramic figurines, organic remains, crafted ivory and bone and refined copper and iron.
[edit] Mapungubwe National Park
The area is now part of Mapungubwe National Park, which with the Tuli Block (Botswana) and the Tuli Safari area (Zimbabwe), forms part of Limpopo/Shashe Transfrontier Park.
 Entance to Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo Province, South Africa |
 Taken from South Africa, to the left is Botswana and Zimbabwe is on the right. The river running from left to right is the Limpopo River. The river which disappears on the horizon is the Shashe |
 Sandstone rock formations typical of Mapungubwe National Park |
 Treetop Boardwalk. All facilities at Mapungubwe National Park are wheelchair-friendly. |
 Mapungubwe Hill viewed from the north |
 Mapungubwe Hill. |
 An archaeological excavation site at Mapungubwe. |
 The Gold Rhino from a burial site on Mapungubwe hill |
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ du Plessis, E.J. (1973). Suid-Afrikaanse berg- en riviername. Tafelberg-uitgewers, Cape Town, p. 139. ISBN 0-624-00273X.
- ^ Mapungubwe: SA's lost city of gold
[edit] External links
- Mapungubwe National Park
- Mapungubwe - discusses cultural aspects, as well as how to get there
- "Mapungubwe: SA's lost city of gold" - article about Mapungubwe's history
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