Kingdom of Mapungubwe

Kingdom of Mapungubwe
Mapungubwe
c. 1220 (1220)–c. 1300 (1300)
StatusKingdom
CapitalMapungubwe Hill
GovernmentMonarchy
History 
• Established
c. 1220 (1220)
• Mapungubwe Hill abandoned
c. 1300 (1300)
Area
• Total
30,000 km2 (12,000 sq mi)
CurrencyPossibly beads, however trade was largely conducted via barter
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Bambandyanalo
Leopard's Kopje
Kingdom of Zimbabwe
Today part ofSouth Africa, Zimbabwe
Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape
UNESCO World Heritage Site
LocationLimpopo, South Africa
CriteriaCultural: (ii), (iii), (iv), (v)
Reference1099bis
Inscription2003 (27th Session)
Extensions2014
Area281.686602 km2 (69,606 acres)
Buffer zone1,048 km2 (259,000 acres)
Coordinates22°11′33″S 29°14′20″E / 22.19250°S 29.23889°E / -22.19250; 29.23889
Map
Kingdom of Mapungubwe is located in Limpopo
Kingdom of Mapungubwe
Location of Kingdom of Mapungubwe in Limpopo
Kingdom of Mapungubwe is located in South Africa
Kingdom of Mapungubwe
Kingdom of Mapungubwe (South Africa)

The Kingdom of Mapungubwe (pronounced /mɑːˈpnɡbw/ mah-POON-goob-weh) was an ancient[a] state located at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers in South Africa, south of Great Zimbabwe. The capital's population was 5,000 by 1250, and the state likely covered 30,000 km² (12,000 square miles).[6][1]: 50 

The kingdom exhibited sacral kingship closely associated with rainmaking, and exported gold and ivory to Swahili city-states on the East African coast into the Indian Ocean trade. Although traditionally assumed to have been the first kingdom in Southern Africa, excavations in the same region at Mapela Hill show evidence for sacral kingship nearly 200 years earlier.[7] Following unknown events and shifting trade routes north around 1300, Mapungubwe's population scattered. In the present day they are often associated with the Kalanga (Shona), Tshivhula, and Venda peoples.

Despite locals having knowledge of the sacred site, Mapungubwe was popularly rediscovered on New Year's Eve 1933. The Mapungubwe Collection of artefacts found at the archaeological site is housed in the Mapungubwe Museum in Pretoria. The site is located in the Mapungubwe National Park in South Africa, on the border with Zimbabwe and Botswana.[8]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference :0 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ Wingfield, Chris; Giblin, John; King, Rachel, eds. (2020). The Pasts and Presence of Art in South Africa: Technologies, Ontologies and Agents. McDonald Institute for Archaeological Research. ISBN 978-1-913344-01-6.
  3. ^ Chirikure, Shadreck; Delius, Peter; Esterhuysen, Amanda; Hall, Simon; Lekgoathi, Sekibakiba; Maulaudzi, Maanda; Neluvhalani, Vele; Ntsoane, Otsile; Pearce, David; Sadr, Karim; Smith, Jeanette (2015). Mapungubwe Reconsidered: A Living Legacy: Exploring Beyond the Rise and Decline of the Mapungubwe State. Real African Publishers Pty. ISBN 978-1-920655-06-8.
  4. ^ Shabalala, Lombuso (2022). Perspective of Mapungubwe Descendants' Traditional Leaders Concerning Their Traditional Values and Cultural Heritage Preservation. Cultural Sustainable Tourism. Advances in Science, Technology & Innovation. pp. 123–134. doi:10.1007/978-3-031-07819-4_11. ISBN 978-3-031-07818-7.
  5. ^ Mathebula, Mantha (2017). "Some notes on the early history of the Tembe, 1280 AD-1800 AD". New Contree. 78 (78): 16. doi:10.4102/nc.v78i0.102.
  6. ^ Huffman, page 376
  7. ^ Chirikure, Shadreck; Manyanga, Munyaradzi; Pollard, A. Mark; Bandama, Foreman; Mahachi, Godfrey; Pikirayi, Innocent (31 October 2014). "Zimbabwe Culture before Mapungubwe: New Evidence from Mapela Hill, South-Western Zimbabwe". PLOS ONE. 9 (10): e111224. Bibcode:2014PLoSO...9k1224C. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0111224. ISSN 1932-6203. PMC 4215987. PMID 25360782.
  8. ^ "Mapungubwe National Park - World Heritage Site in South Africa". southafrica.co.za. Retrieved 8 November 2024.


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