Decisive Evidence for Multidirectional Evolution of Sociopolitical Complexity in Southern Africa

Chirikure, Shadreck; Bandama, Foreman; House, Michelle; Moffett, Abigail Joy; Mukwende, Tawanda; Pollard, Mark

doi:10.1007/s10437-016-9215-1

Cited by 35 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…Although the material culture might have been identical, its meaning, however, differed according to political status. Thus, although a king’s spear was often similar to that of a commoner, political office conferred symbolic significance upon it (Chirikure et al 2016; Moffett & Chirikure 2016). This situation makes it difficult archaeologically to distinguish social inequalities based on the distribution of material culture, even where good spatial and chronological control is available.…”

Section: Theoretical and Methodological Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elites and commoners at Great Zimbabwe: archaeological and ethnographic insights on social power

et al. 2018

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Section: Theoretical and Methodological Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Elites and commoners at Great Zimbabwe: archaeological and ethnographic insights on social power

et al. 2018

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“…As a follow on, does the model of a single empire and capital of Mapungubwe controlling the vast broader Shashi Limpopo Basin best fit the data? Clearly, research at Mapela, Jahunda, Mananzwe and many other places such as Mupanipani in Botswana shows that this was not the case (van Waarden 2011; Chirikure et al 2016). In fact, Chimhundu (1992) suggests that the size of states in southern Zambezia was likely smaller than older frameworks imported from elsewhere seemed to suggest (see also Beach 1994 for a similar conclusion).…”

Section: Historical Ecology and Multi-linear Evolution Of State Formamentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation, craftscapes and knowledge networks: introductory remarks on historical ecology and state formation in southern Africa

Chirikure

Fredriksen

Manyanga

2018

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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“…Increased social stratification from the terminal first millennium is correlated with an increase in mining, the specialised production of iron and copper (Swan1994; Calabrese 2000;Miller 1995Miller , 2001Chirikure 2007), and new innovations in metal working, particularly the production of tin bronze (Miller 2001;Killick 2009;Bandama 2013). The settlement of densely occupied hilltop sites, and the associated change in social and political differentiation in the early second millennium, represented the emergence of a class-based hierarchy and the manifestation of early states (Sinclair 1987;Pwiti 1991;Calabrese 2000;Pikirayi 2001;Huffman 2000Huffman , 2007Huffman , 2009Sinclair et al 2012;Chirikure et al 2013Chirikure et al , 2016a. Changes in production strategies are widely considered to be integral to the developments that took place in this time period (Huffman 1972(Huffman , 1974(Huffman , 2000(Huffman , 2009Pwiti 1991Pwiti , 1996Pwiti , 2005Swan 1994;Calabrese 2007).…”

Section: Metals and The Iron Age Political Economy Of Southern Africamentioning

confidence: 99%

‘Phalaborwa where the hammer is heard’: crafting together the political economy of Iron Age communities in southern Africa, AD 900–1900

Moffett

2017

Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa

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In Africa and elsewhere, producers form a critical dimension to archaeological reconstructions of the political economy. However, few studies address the relationship between producers and the political economy from the vantage point of production sites. This study addresses the position of metal producers in the regional political economy of Iron Age (AD 200-1900) communities in southern Africa through an in-depth analysis of one production locale, Shankare. Shankare is a production and habitation site located in close proximity to the Lolwe mineral body in Phalaborwa. Studying the organisation of production, identity of producers, mechanisms of exchange and evidence of consumption at Shankare provided an important platform to assess producers in the context of the domestic and regional economy. Research at Shankare and surrounding sites revealed that production was characterised by a community of homestead based producers located in proximity to the ore source. Metal production took place in domestic contexts in conjunction with other activities, and with clear evidence of scheduling and cross-crafting overlaps. Producers acted independently and were well connected within a regional exchange system that facilitated the flow of local products and imported items such as glass beads and cowrie shells (Cypraea annulus). The study of producers at Shankare indicates the presence of a decentralised political economy resulting in a high degree of autonomy of producers and consumers in the region. Comparisons between the organisation of metal production at Shankare through time indicate that in both occupational periods, AD 900-1300 and AD 1700-1900, production strategies were contextually negotiated, with no clear correlation between political centralisation and specialised production. This research challenges existing models of control and the enactment of power in the political economy of the Iron Age. It has further potential implications for reconsidering the parameters for identifying power relations utilised in global archaeological theory. I would like to acknowledge a number of individuals and institutions that have made this research possible. Funding for my studies was provided through a grant-holder linked National Research Foundation (NRF) bursary facilitated by Associate Professor Shadreck Chirikure. Additional funding from the Erasmus-Mundus Association allowed me to spend five months at K.U. Leuven in Belgium from which I greatly benefited. Access to Shankare for fieldwork was granted by the Palabora Mining Company. Special thanks to Tim Paxton and the heritage officers Johannes Malatji, Adam Mhlongo, Thembani and Mandla who facilitated our research at Shankare and also contributed towards our understanding of the site. Guy Thomas,

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Decisive Evidence for Multidirectional Evolution of Sociopolitical Complexity in Southern Africa

Cited by 35 publications

References 30 publications

Elites and commoners at Great Zimbabwe: archaeological and ethnographic insights on social power

Elites and commoners at Great Zimbabwe: archaeological and ethnographic insights on social power

Adaptation, craftscapes and knowledge networks: introductory remarks on historical ecology and state formation in southern Africa

‘Phalaborwa where the hammer is heard’: crafting together the political economy of Iron Age communities in southern Africa, AD 900–1900

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