#thulamela

[afrotumble]

Thulamela dry stone ruins, South Africa, 13th to 17th century.

Photograph Credits: Jenny M. Leonard, Sharon Haussmann, Mapio, Columbia University among others.

[archaeologicalnews]

Thulamela: Iron-Age Kingdom in South Africa

The city of Thulamela flourished in South Africa between the 13th and 17th centuries. Its inhabitants imported goods from as far away as China.

Covering nine hectares (22 acres) and located on the northern tip of Kruger National Park in northeastern South Africa, the site was excavated during the 1990s and contains a series of stone enclosures built on a hill.

"What we can say from the archaeological evidence uncovered at the site is that a stratified community lived at Thulamela; elites probably on the top of the hill while the rest of the populace occupied the adjacent areas below. It is commonly said that about 1,000 people lived above and 2,000 below, although this is speculative since no systematic survey or remote sensing has been conducted," wrote Lynn Meskell, an anthropology professor at Stanford University, in a paper published in 2007 in the Journal of Southern African Studies. Read more.