The nineteenth century Matabele settlements on the South African Highveld
Date
2023
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg
Abstract
The rise of the Zulu kingdom in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, has been a topic of historical research since the 1870s and coincided with increased conflict within the area. The development of the Matabele as a distinct cultural grouping was a gradual process that occurred for decades. Although, initially, only a small group of Khumalo (a northern Nguni clan that formed the elite of the Matabele), they soon started to incorporate the surrounding Sotho/Tswana communities. A clear understanding of their archaeological signatures is needed for Matabele sites to be identified on the landscape. No clear archaeological signature has yet been developed for the Matabele. Therefore, this project aims to describe the organisation of the Matabele military settlements and determine how they evolved during the migration from KwaZulu-Natal to southern Zimbabwe. A settlement organisational model was created that determined that the Matabele and Zulu had a similar settlement organisation, with important differences that allow for individual identification of each group’s settlement. Furthermore, the Matabele utilised perishable material in the construction of the settlement, with no mention of the use of stone found within the historical accounts. Consequently, a difference existed between settlements constructed by Matabele viewed as Nguni and those not regarded as Nguni. This Nguni-non-Nguni divide was also reflected in the presence or absence of the Nguni culture among the inhabitants. This model was then used to develop a Matabele settlement signature that could be used to locate these settlements on the landscape via the use of satellite and multispectral satellite images. A satellite images-based survey was then undertaken to find potential Matabele settlements between Zeerust and Millvale, with 667 potential sites being identified. With the identification of these sites, archaeological excavations can be conducted to develop a clearer understanding of the Matabele. As our knowledge of the Matabele improves, it will allow for a more detailed examination of the northern Nguni as a wider cultural grouping.
Description
A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
Johannesburg, 2023
Keywords
Military settlement, Ikhanda, Amakhanda, Nguni, UCYTD
Citation
Van der Merwe, Renier Hendrik. (2023). The nineteenth century Matabele settlements on the South African Highveld [ PhD thesis, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg]. WireDSpace.https://hdl.handle.net/10539/41765