UNESCO Ancient Civilizations of Africa (Editor G. Mokhtar)

Ancient Civilizations of Africa
in common with the early iron age industries farther east. It now appears
that this pottery does not represent the initial early iron age occupation of
the area; this is probably seen in such sites as Mandau and Madiliyangwa
in the Matopo hills, where the sherds have close typological connections
both with the early Gokomere wares and with the earliest iron age
pottery of the Dambwa group in the Victoria Falls region. 42 It seems probable
that in much of south-western Zimbabwe the early iron age
population remained sparse until the development of the Zhiso industry
late in the first millennium. Rock art studies indicate the substantial survival
of late stone age peoples throughout this time, especially in the Matopo
hills. 43
Excavations at Zhiso Hill in the Matopos have yielded fragments of
pole-and-^aga structures and settings of stones which are interpreted as the
supports for grain storage bins, together with pottery decorated primarily
with comb-stamped motifs; this material is dated between the ninth and
twelfth centuries. 44
At other sites which have yielded Zhiso pottery, notably Pumbaje and
Ngwapani, stone terrace-walling may be contemporary, but the association
is uncertain. 45 An eighth- or ninth-century Zhiso horizon represents the
earliest iron age occupation at the Leopard's Kopje site, 24 kilometres west
of Bulawayo. Associated finds included shell and glass beads, iron slag,
copper bangles, teeth of sheep or goats and, less certainly associated,
remains of cow-peas. Cattle bones, which were common in the overlying
deposits of the Leopard's Kopje industry (Mambo phase), were not
represented in the comparatively small faunal assemblage from the basal
Zhiso horizon. 46
In the extreme south-east of Zimbabwe an early iron age village site at
Malapati on the Nuanetsi river has been dated from the last quarter of the
first millennium. 47 Cattle bones were recovered, and the pottery from this
site shows affinities with both Gokomere and Zhiso wares and, through the
latter, with material recovered in eastern Botswana, as at Maokagani
Hill. 48
The spread of the early iron age industrial complex south of the
Limpopo during the first millennium is now indicated, but the evidence is
sparse and incomplete. Pottery similar to that from Malapati has been discovered
at Matakoma in the Soutspansberg of the northern Transvaal; no
absolute dates for the site are available, but the similarity with the dated
Malapati assemblage makes a date in the second half of the first millennium
42. N. Jones, pp. 1-44.
43. See Chapter 26 above.
44. K. R. Robinson, 1966b, pp. 5-51.
45- "bid.
46. T. N. Huffman, 1971b, pp. 85-9.
47. K. R. Robinson, 1963, pp. 155-71; 1961a.
48. J. F. Schofield.
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