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Mapungubwe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| State Party |  South Africa |
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| Type | Cultural | |
| Criteria | ii, iii, iv, v | |
| Identification | #1099 | |
| Region2 | Africa | |
| Inscription History | ||
| Formal Inscription: | 2003 27th WH Committee Session |
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| WH link: | http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1099 | |
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1 Name as officially inscribed on the WH List |
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Mapungubwe was a city in what is now northern South Africa. Flourishing from AD 1050 to AD 1270 at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers (22.2S 29.3667E), it marked the center of a pre-Shona kingdom which covered parts of modern-day Botswana and Zimbabwe. The site of the city is now a World Heritage site, national park, and archaeological site.
The Mapungubwe Landscape was declared a World Heritage Site on 3 July 2003.
Mapungubwe Hill means “place of jackals”. Mapungubwe Hill is a sandstone hill. Its vertical cliffs are about 30m high and it has a flat top which is approximately 300m long. The hilltop was inhabited for about 70 years from AD 1220 to AD 1290.
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Mapungubwean society was "the most complex in southern Africa". It is thought by archaeologists to be the first class-based social system in southern Africa--that is, its leaders were separated from and higher in rank than its inhabitants.
Life in Mapungubwe was centered around family and farming. Special sites were created for initiation ceremonies, household activities, and other social functions. Cattle lived in kraals located close to the residents' houses, signifying their value.
Most speculation about society continues to be based upon the remains of buildings, since the Mapungubweans left no written or oral record.
After Mapungubwe's fall, it was forgotten until 1932. On New Year’s Eve 1932, ESJ van Graan (local farmer and prospector) and his son (an ex student of the University of Pretoria) discovered the wealth of artifacts on top of Mapungubwe hill. They reported the find to Professor Leo Fouché of the University of Pretoria, paving the way for excavations that continue to this day. Because of the discovery of many gold artifacts, Mapungubwe was originally kept secret, for fear of looting. Artifacts discovered dated from approximately 1000 AD to 1300 AD consisted of a variety of materials such as pottery, trade glass beads, Chinese celadon ware, gold ornaments (including the famous golden rhino), ceramic figurines, organic remains, crafted ivory and bone and refined copper and iron.
The area is now part of Mapungubwe National Park, which with the Tuli Block (Botswana) and the Tuli Safari area (Zimbabwe), forms part of Limpopo/Shashe Transfrontier Park.
 Entance to Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo Province, South Africa |
 Taken from South Africa, to the left is Botswana and Zimbabwe is on the right. The river running from left to right is the Limpopo River. The river which disappears on the horizon is the Shashe |
 Sandstone rock formations typical of Mapungubwe National Park |
 Treetop Boardwalk. All facilities at Mapungubwe National Park are wheelchair-friendly. |
- Mapungubwe National Park
- Mapungubwe - discusses cultural aspects, as well as how to get there
- "Mapungubwe: SA's lost city of gold" - article about Mapungubwe's history
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