,CUS3701 Assignment 3 (COMPLETE ANSWERS) 2024
(629218)- DUE 6 August 2024; 100% TRUSTED workings,
explanations and solutions.
QUESTION 1 Read the extract below and answer the questions
that follow. MAPHUNGUBWE CULTURAL LANDSCAPE The
ancient city of Mapungubwe (meaning “hill of the jackal”) is an
Iron Age archaeological site in the Limpopo province on the
border between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, 75 km
from Messina. It sits close to the point where the Limpopo and
Shashe Rivers meet. One thousand years ago, Mapungubwe
appears to have been the centre of the largest known kingdom in
the African sub-continent. The civilization thrived as a
sophisticated trading centre from around 1200 to 1300 AD,
trading gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt. The site was
“discovered” on 31 December 1932, when a local informant,
Mowena, led E.S.J. van Graan (farmer and prospector), his son
and three others to Greefswald farm on Mapungubwe Hill. On the
hill, they noticed stone walls and on closer inspection, they
recovered gold and iron artifacts, pottery and glass beads. Van
Graan's son recognised the academic value of the site and
contacted the head of the Department of History at the University
of Pretoria, Professor Leo Fouché. As a result of his intervention,
the University negotiated with the owner of the property, E.E.
Collins. In a legal agreement, the University took ownership of the
gold and other artifacts and secured an option and a contract for
excavation rights. The University also successfully requested a
postponement of prospecting, mining and related activities on
, Greefswald. In June 1933, Greefswald was bought by the
Government and excavation rights were granted to the University
of Pretoria. The University established an Archaeological
Committee, which from 1933 to 1947 oversaw research and
excavations (read more about the excavations). Mapungubwe Hill
is 300 m long, broad at one end, tapering at the other. It is only
accessible by means of two very steep and narrow paths that twist
their way to the summit, and yet 2 000 tons of soil have been
artificially transported to the very top by a prehistoric people of
unknown identity. Downloaded by Corona Virus ()
lOMoARcPSD| CUS3701 ASSESSMENT 03/2024
Archaeological enquiry uncovered the remnants of numerous
dwellings, which had been built on the ruins of predecessors over
many generations, resulting in a series of habitation phases.
Radiocarbon dates show that the first buildings were erected
below the hill at the beginning of the 11th century AD. But
adjacent to Mapungubwe is the sister site of Bambandyanalo,
which was settled even earlier. It seems that the centre of the state
shifted from Bambandyanalo to Mapungubwe Hill in about 1045
AD, when the town most probably became overcrowded. It was
also at about this time that hills and mountains became associated
with royalty and the noble classes began to build their structure on
high ground. This is an important observation as it provided
evidence of the extensive wealth and social differentiation of the
people of Mapungubwe; in other words, this ancient civilization
was class based. The gold findings are also evidence of early gold
smelting. A large number of artifacts from the royal family were
discovered at Mapungubwe. The best known of these objects is
the golden rhinoceros. All in all, the amount of gold from this
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