Exam (elaborations)
CUS3701 Assignment 3 2024
- Institution
- University Of Cape Town (UCT)
CUS3701 Assignment 3 2024
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CUS3701ASSIGNMENT3
, 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.
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.
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