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Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo
Decades of archaeological research have established the chronology of the history of culture by farmers in northern South Africa from the beginning of the first millennium AD to the recent past (1900). This thesis sought to explore the archaeology and archaeometallurgy of the early inhabitants of th...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English |
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Department of Archaeology
2021
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| _version_ | 1867613332469448704 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Mathoho, Ndivhuho Eric |
| author2 | Chirikure, Shadreck |
| author_browse | Chirikure, Shadreck Mathoho, Ndivhuho Eric |
| author_facet | Chirikure, Shadreck Mathoho, Ndivhuho Eric |
| author_sort | Mathoho, Ndivhuho Eric |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Decades of archaeological research have established the chronology of the history of culture by farmers in northern South Africa from the beginning of the first millennium AD to the recent past (1900). This thesis sought to explore the archaeology and archaeometallurgy of the early inhabitants of the Lowveld region. Rigorous methodological and theoretical approaches, which include Ethno-Historical, archaeological and archaeometallurgical studies, were employed to acquire the relevant information required to address research problems. Ceramic typology and settlement pattern studies were used to establish the culture-history to contextualise Iron Age sites, while Optical Microscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the metallurgical remains to understand metal production technology. Both Mutoti and Thomo sites share several similarities, namely, they are situated near the perennial streams, the presence of metal-production sites and the predominant pottery types, consisting of short and long neck vessels dominated by comb stamping, incision and punctate decorations on the rim, neck and shoulder of the vessels. Ceramic tradition analysis revealed that both Mut 2 and Thomo combine ceramic designs and attributes that appeared in the region near the beginning of the first Millennium AD, that is the Urewe and the Kalundu traditions. Garonga Phase tradition developed from the Urewe tradition which represent the first facie, represented by the Silver Leaves sites of the Kwale branch ceramic tradition which dates to AD 280- 420 and the Kalundu tradition (which starts from Happy Rest and progresses to Diamant - Phase 2) which dates from the sixth century AD, both traditions share distinctive ceramics styles and decoration attributes (Burrett, 2007; Huffman, 2007). The radiocarbon-based chronology suggests that Mut 2 and Thomo sites were occupied contemporaneously and dated to AD 650-850. Analysis of the distribution of materials objects across Mut 2 site revealed active participation in both local and international trade network (Soapstone and Islamic ceramics) operated at a village status. Some of the craft production related evidence include metal production, eggshell beads and cloth manufacturing. Metal production was regarded as signature of power and authority in Iron Age period (Herbert, 1996). More research may strengthen this observation. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/33794 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:34:27.383Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2021 |
| publishDateRange | 2021 |
| publishDateSort | 2021 |
| publisher | Department of Archaeology |
| publisherStr | Department of Archaeology |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/33794 Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo Mathoho, Ndivhuho Eric Chirikure, Shadreck Iron Age Farming communities Ceramics Archaeology Archaeometallurgy XRF SEM Decades of archaeological research have established the chronology of the history of culture by farmers in northern South Africa from the beginning of the first millennium AD to the recent past (1900). This thesis sought to explore the archaeology and archaeometallurgy of the early inhabitants of the Lowveld region. Rigorous methodological and theoretical approaches, which include Ethno-Historical, archaeological and archaeometallurgical studies, were employed to acquire the relevant information required to address research problems. Ceramic typology and settlement pattern studies were used to establish the culture-history to contextualise Iron Age sites, while Optical Microscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the metallurgical remains to understand metal production technology. Both Mutoti and Thomo sites share several similarities, namely, they are situated near the perennial streams, the presence of metal-production sites and the predominant pottery types, consisting of short and long neck vessels dominated by comb stamping, incision and punctate decorations on the rim, neck and shoulder of the vessels. Ceramic tradition analysis revealed that both Mut 2 and Thomo combine ceramic designs and attributes that appeared in the region near the beginning of the first Millennium AD, that is the Urewe and the Kalundu traditions. Garonga Phase tradition developed from the Urewe tradition which represent the first facie, represented by the Silver Leaves sites of the Kwale branch ceramic tradition which dates to AD 280- 420 and the Kalundu tradition (which starts from Happy Rest and progresses to Diamant - Phase 2) which dates from the sixth century AD, both traditions share distinctive ceramics styles and decoration attributes (Burrett, 2007; Huffman, 2007). The radiocarbon-based chronology suggests that Mut 2 and Thomo sites were occupied contemporaneously and dated to AD 650-850. Analysis of the distribution of materials objects across Mut 2 site revealed active participation in both local and international trade network (Soapstone and Islamic ceramics) operated at a village status. Some of the craft production related evidence include metal production, eggshell beads and cloth manufacturing. Metal production was regarded as signature of power and authority in Iron Age period (Herbert, 1996). More research may strengthen this observation. 2021-08-17T14:13:50Z 2021-08-17T14:13:50Z 2021 2021-08-17T14:12:22Z Doctoral Thesis Doctoral PhD http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33794 eng application/pdf Department of Archaeology Faculty of Science |
| spellingShingle | Iron Age Farming communities Ceramics Archaeology Archaeometallurgy XRF SEM Mathoho, Ndivhuho Eric Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo |
| thesis_degree_str | Doctoral |
| title | Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo |
| title_full | Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo |
| title_fullStr | Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo |
| title_full_unstemmed | Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo |
| title_short | Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo province of South Africa: case studies of early iron age sites of Mutoti and Thomo |
| title_sort | archaeology and archaeometallurgy in limpopo province of south africa case studies of early iron age sites of mutoti and thomo |
| topic | Iron Age Farming communities Ceramics Archaeology Archaeometallurgy XRF SEM |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/33794 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT mathohondivhuhoeric archaeologyandarchaeometallurgyinlimpopoprovinceofsouthafricacasestudiesofearlyironagesitesofmutotiandthomo |