Browsing by Subject "Great Zimbabwe"

Now showing 1 - 3 of 3
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    Open Access
    Archaeological collections as a prime research asset: objects and Great Zimbabwe's past
    (2018) Chiripanhura, Pauline; Chirikure, Shadreck
    This thesis sought to explore the lifeways of second-millennium AD inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe through the analyses of material objects housed in museums. Great Zimbabwe comprises walled stone enclosures and non-walled settlements covering approximately 720ha. A number of data acquisition techniques, such as desktop survey, analyses of museum collections, supplementary field survey and excavations, were employed to collect relevant datasets to address the research questions. The sampling strategy adapted for this research enabled the study of material objects from different components making up Great Zimbabwe. The main conclusions drawn from this study are as follows: (i) Within varying temporal scales, the nature and distribution of local and imported objects are largely similar across the site; (ii) chronologically and typologically speaking, there is evidence that different parts of the site were occupied and abandoned at different times; and (iii) based on the similarities in material objects and associated production debris and infrastructure, it is likely that different components were self-sufficient units. This study has underscored the significance of existing collections in developing new interpretations of Great Zimbabwe's past lifeways, thereby motivating for the need for similar work to understand the hundreds of similar settlements scattered across southern Africa.
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    Open Access
    Great Zimbabwe in the 21st century
    (2013) Chirikure, Shadreck
    by Dr Shadreck Chirikure, Department of Archaeology, University of Cape Town. This audio lecture explores the famous Southern African archaeological site Great Zimbabwe. This resource is useful for anyone interested in learning more about Great Zimbabwe.
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    Open Access
    Straight from the cow's mouth: investigating procurement and management strategies in cattle supplied to Great Zimbabwe using a multi-isotopic approach
    (2020) House, Michell; Chirikure, Shadreck; Sealy, Judith
    Great Zimbabwe was the centre of an ancient Shona state from AD1200- 1700. It is known for its magnificent architecture and involvement in long-distance (intercontinental) and local (inter-regional) trade. In this society, cattle were vitally important in social, economic and political spheres. However, the origins and herd management strategies of cattle from Great Zimbabwe have never been explored using empirical evidence, although researchers have proposed seasonal transhumance between upland and lowland regions. In this thesis, measurements of 87Sr/86Sr, δ 18O, δ13C and δ15N profiles in serial samples of tooth enamel and dentine from 27 archaeological cattle teeth enable investigation of several aspects of cattle procurement and management. Taken together, the isotope measurements show that cattle at Great Zimbabwe came from a broad geographical area. Some cattle were raised (for the first year of life) less than 40kms away from Great Zimbabwe, most were raised in the lowveld of the country between 40 and 120kms south of the site and some may have moved between the two areas. Cattle fed mainly on C4 grass throughout the period from AD1300 to 1600, although some also consumed limited amounts of browse. Heterogenous δ 13C profiles indicate that animals derived from different environments, and that calves were born at different times of year. This study emphasises the advantages of using multiple isotopes to extract maximum information from archaeological tissues. In combination with the distribution of material culture, particularly from sites coeval with Great Zimbabwe, this study contributes to our understanding of the flow of key resources within the Zimbabwe state, enhancing knowledge of relationships between sites and regions. This study emphasises how economically connected the landscape was during the thriving of the Zimbabwe state. It makes a significant contribution to our hitherto very limited knowledge of the flow of regional (as opposed to imported) commodities. Future work should target lesser studied Zimbabwe-type sites in southern Zimbabwe to further explore interactions and relationships between hinterland sites and their centres.