Archaeology and archaeometallurgy in Limpopo Province, South Africa: case studies of the Early Iron Age sites of Mutoti and Thomo

Abstract

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. This thesis sought to explore the archaeology and archaeometallurgy of the early inhabitants of the Lowveld region. Rigorous methodological and theoretical approaches, which include ethnohistorical, 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 needed to contextualise Iron Age sites, while Optical Microscopy, X-Ray Fluorescence analysis (XRF) and Scanning ElectronMicroscopy (SEM) were used to investigate the metallurgical remains from them in order to understand metal production technology. Both Mutoti and Thomo share several similarities, namely, a location near perennial streams, the presence of metal-production and a predominance of pottery types marked by 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 Mutoti 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 Kalundu traditions. The sites’ radiocarbon-based chronology suggests that they were occupied contemporaneously and that they date to cal. AD 650–850. Analysis of the distribution of material objects across Mutoti revealed active participation in both local (soapstone) and international trade networks (Islamic ceramics). Evidence of craft activities includes metal production, eggshell bead manufacture and cloth production. Metal production was regarded as a signature of power and authority in the Iron Age and more research may strengthen this observation at these sites.