Reconnaissance survey of Zulu kingdom period amakhanda in the emaKhosini Basin, South Africa

ABSTRACT

The archaeology of the Zulu kingdom in southeastern South Africa has recently seen renewed interest after a long dormancy. Most of what we know about the kingdom comes from oral tradition and historical records. Archaeological research has been limited to the excavation of battlefields, the preserved primary residences of three kings and limited non-systematic survey. Beyond the battlefields and king’s capitals there is considerable opportunity for archaeology to provide evidence that complements written records and oral traditions and that informs us about questions where these records are incomplete, vague or silent. Against the historical record, archaeological research can establish a more secure understanding of settlement pattern, settlement organisation, ecology and landscape use, economics, the nature of non-élite lifeways and how the network of relations amongst social groups and strata that comprised the kingdom’s populace was materialised. The ‘heartland’ of the Zulu kingdom, the emaKhosini Basin, has long been considered an area of high archaeological potential for understanding settlement and society during the nineteenth century AD. Here, we report the results of a reconnaissance survey aimed at relocating reported sites, evaluating their size and layout and establishing their potential for further detailed, systematic survey and excavation in preparation for future long-term work in the emaKhosini.

RÉSUMÉ

L’archéologie du royaume zoulou du sud-est d'Afrique du Sud a récemment connu un regain d’intérêt après une longue période d’inactivité. La majorité des connaissances sur le royaume provient de la tradition orale et des archives historiques. La recherche archéologique s'est limitée à des prospections non systématiques et limitées, et à la fouille de champs de bataille et des résidences principales préservées de trois rois. Au-delà des champs de bataille et des capitales royales, il existe un potentiel considérable pour l’archéologie, qui peut fournir des données complétant les documents écrits et les traditions orales, nous informant sur des questions au sujet desquelles ces documents sont incomplets, vagues ou muets. Par rapport aux archives historiques, la recherche archéologique peut établir une compréhension plus solide du peuplement, de l’organisation des habitats, de l’écologie et de l’utilisation du paysage, de l’économie, de la nature des modes de vie de ceux qui n’étaient les élites, et de la matérialisation du réseau de relations entre les groupes sociaux et les strates qui composaient la population du royaume. Le ‘cœur’ du royaume zoulou, le bassin d’emaKhosini, est depuis longtemps considéré comme une zone de fort potentiel archéologique pour la compréhension du peuplement et de la société au cours du dix-neuvième siècle après J.-C. Ici, nous rapportons les résultats d’une mission de reconnaissance visant à identifier les sites précédemment signalés, à évaluer leur taille et leur configuration, et à établir leur potentiel pour une prospection et des fouilles systématiques et détaillées, en vue de futurs travaux à long terme dans l’emaKhosini.

KEYWORDS:

• survey
• settlement pattern
• Zulu kingdom
• nineteenth century
• South Africa

Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the contributions and assistance of Nico Harris for access to the study area and Amafa (Heritage KwaZulu-Natal) for facilitating our fieldwork. Funding was provided through the University of Manitoba/SSHRC Bridge Fund.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Kent D. Fowler

Kent D. Fowler is Faculty of Arts Social Science Research Professor, Associate Professor of Anthropology and Senior Fellow of St John’s College at the University of Manitoba, Canada. His research interests lie in the farming societies of southern Africa, economics, ethnoarchaeology, ceramic technology, archaeometry and spatial organisation. He has conducted research in South Africa and eSwatini since 1997 and ran a long-term ceramic ethnography project demonstrating the ways technical know-how in Zulu pottery-making is linked to people’s daily and seasonal routines, social networks and social identities. Research on the Zulu kingdom began in 2013 and has thus far examined pottery economics, cattle provisioning and settlements linked to King Dingane’s capital at uMgungundlovu.

Leonard O. van Schalkwyk

Leonard O. van Schalkwyk is the Director of eThembeni Cultural Heritage (Pietermaritzburg, South Africa). He has nearly 40 years of professional experience as a practising archaeologist and heritage resource manager in South Africa, Botswana and Mozambique. His research interests have focused on the Iron Age of southern Africa, while his management specialisations are heritage impact assessments, community liaison, ancestral grave management and integrated environmental management. He has consulted for a significant range of southern African governmental bodies, NGOs and private entities and is a respected professional practitioner. He is currently on the board of the African Conservation Trust and is working in Lesotho on a large-scale dam mitigation project, ensuring compliance and guidance for all heritage-related issues.