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Summary Grade 6 History STUDY GUIDE
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Summary of 67 pages for the course History at 7th Grade (This will help you)
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, 1Grade 6 History
Term 1
KINGDOMS OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
MAPUNGUBWE
The city of Mapungubwe is in the Limpopo Province, on a farm called ‘Greefswald’, near the
Limpopo River. Mapungubwe means “Hill of the Jackal”. Mapungubwe was declared a
World Heritage Site because of its value as an archaeological site that provides insight into
humanity’s past.
The people of Mapungubwe were wealthy and farmed cattle, sheep and goats between
900CE and 1150CE. They produced large harvests that allowed them to trade and store
extra food. Successful cattle farmers grew wealthy enough to spend time mining gold in
shallow diggings in the area. Their riches came from gold and ivory.
Archaeologists found evidence that the Mapungubwe people traded with Arabia, China
and India through the East African harbours because of the city being so close to the
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Limpopo River. They exchanged salt, cattle, fish, gold and iron, wood, freshwater snail
and mussel, and ostrich eggshell beads were used for glass beads and cloth.
Trade led to the gathering of power and wealth and a rich and powerful ruling class
emerged. This ruling class was led by the Mambo or king. It was believed that the
Mambo had a special relationship with the ancestors and gods which gave him a sacred
right to rule. His symbols of authority were the crocodile and the black rhino.
In about 1220AD, the king decided to show his power by moving away from the rest of
the people to the top of the Mapungubwe Hill. His followers carried thousands of tons of
sand to the top of the hill to make it level. The king’s huts were built on top of the hill.
The huts of his wives, senior sister/diviner, advisors, healers and guards were also built
there.
People with different levels of authority ruled the thousands of farmers and other people
living in the community below the hill. These included the king’s brother who controlled
the court as well as chiefs and headmen who controlled the villages.
Archaeologists found two different graveyards. They found a burial site on top of the hill,
near the palace, where 23 bodies had been buried. Three of the bodies were buried
upright, in a sitting position, showing that they were royalty. They were also buried with
gold and copper ornaments and glass beads. The rest of the community members were
buried below the hill top near the cattle kraal.
Gold and clay objects found on the mountain
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Mining in Mapungubwe
The Mambo began to regard gold as wealth, not just as a way to get beads. So, the
Mambo asked some of his farmers to mine gold. We know this because of the gold
ornaments and jewellery found at Mapungubwe.
Mining was very hard work, so the king often paid the miners with cattle.
Gold was mined in two ways: Alluvial mining and Underground mining.
Alluvial Mining
People took gold from the rivers.
1. Miners dug in the sod or sand in rivers and on river banks.
2. They washed the sand and soil in the river.
3. The gold was scooped out in baskets.
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