The Archaeology and Technology of Metal Production in the Late Iron Age of the Southern Waterberg, Limpopo Province, South Africa
THE ARCHAEOLOGY AND TECHNOLOGY OF METAL PRODUCTION IN THE LATE IRON AGE OF THE SOUTHERN WATERBERG, LIMPOPO PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA Town Cape of UniversityFOREMAN BANDAMA Thesis Presented for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Archaeology UNIVERSITY OF CAPE TOWN November 2013 The copyright of this thesis vests in the author. No quotation from it or information derived from it is to be published without full acknowledgementTown of the source. The thesis is to be used for private study or non- commercial research purposes only. Cape Published by the University ofof Cape Town (UCT) in terms of the non-exclusive license granted to UCT by the author. University DEDICATION To our little princess, Princess Bandama Town Cape of University i | P a g e ABSTRACT The inception of metallurgy in southern Africa was relatively late, compared to other regions in Africa, and as a result, this part of the sub-continent was mistakenly thought to have been less innovative during the Iron Age. On the contrary, dedicated materials analyses are showing that starting from the terminal first millennium AD, southern Africa is replete with innovations that include the growth of state systems, specialised long-distance trading, the re-melting of glass beads, the working of ivory, and the weaving of cotton using ceramic spindle whorls. Additionally, the appearance of gold and tin production, against a background of on-going iron and copper metallurgy, has been interpreted by some as intimating innovation in metal technology. While some research energy has been invested into these novelties, there has only been incidental concern with the innovation in tin and bronze production.
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