Why was mapungubwe abandoned
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Mapungubwe
The ancient city of Mapungubwe (meaning 'hill of the jackal') is an Iron Age archaeological site in the Limpopo Province on the border between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, 75 km from Messina. It sits close to the point where the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers meet. One thousand years ago, Mapungubwe appears to have been the centre of the largest known Kingdom in the African sub-Continent. The civilization thrived as a sophisticated trading center from around 1200 to 1300 AD, trading gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt.
The site was 'discovered' on 31 December 1932, when a local informant, Mowena, led E.S.J. van Graan (farmer and prospector), his son and three others, to Greefswald farm on Mapungubwe Hill. On the hill they noticed stone walls and on closer inspection, they recovered gold and iron artifacts, pottery and glass beads. Van Graan's son recognized the academic value of the site and contacted the head History department at the University of Pretoria, Professor Leo Fouché. As a result of his intervention with the University, negotiated with the o
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History of the Lost Civilization of Mapungubwe
Located in South Africa's Limpopo Province, Mapungubwe National Park is a Big Five game reserve. Considered the most influential and important Iron Age site in South Africa, Mapungubwe National Park was once the home of a prevailing and powerful African kingdom and is considered the precursor to Great Zimbabwe.
Exploring the Ruins of an Ancient and Powerful Kingdom
Considered the most influential and important Iron Age site in South Africa, Mapungubwe National Park in the Limpopo Province was once the home of a prevailing and powerful African kingdom. A visit to thishistorical site will leave one with a unique insight into the social, cultural and political structures prevalent in the society, a society that, way before its time, was trading gold and ivory with China and India and is regarded as being one of the most complex societies in southern Africa at the time.
The Lost Race of People
The two most significant sites on the reserve are K2 and Mapungubwe Hill. These sites are considered to be neighbouring villages. Sadly,
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Kingdom of Mapungubwe
Ancient kingdom in the Limpopo-Shashe Basin, northern South Africa
The Kingdom of Mapungubwe (pronounced mah-POON-goob-weh) was an ancient[a] state located at the confluence of the Shashe and Limpopo rivers in South Africa, south of Great Zimbabwe. The capital's population was 5,000 by 1250, and the state likely covered 30,000 km² (12,000 square miles).[6][1]: 50
The kingdom exhibited sacral kingship closely associated with rainmaking, and exported gold and ivory to Swahili city-states on the East African coast into the Indian Ocean trade. Although traditionally assumed to have been the first kingdom in Southern Africa, excavations in the same region at Mapela Hill show evidence for sacral kingship nearly 200 years earlier.[7] Following unknown events and shifting trade routes north around 1300, Mapungubwe's population scattered. In the present day they are often associated with the Kalanga (Shona), Tshivhula, and Venda peoples.
Despite locals having knowledge of the sacred site, Mapungubwe
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