Isitjhaba samaZhizo seMapungubwe ngeLimpopo

Isiko lamaZhizo eSchroda ka (900 AD - 1000 AD)

©David Fleminger
Unyaka ka-900 AD waziba njengonyaka lapha kwathoma khona i-Iron Age yakade eSewula Afrika. Kusesenekumo pikiswano ngokobana kwakhe kwabakhona i-Middle Iron Age namkha awa, kodwana ikulumopendulwano leyo ngizayilisela iinfundiswa. Ngomsebenzethu singatjho kobana ngonyaka ka-900 AD, iwoma elitjha elafika lahlala eLimpopo-eShashe basin: sitjhaba sabantu bamaZhizo. Abantwaba bavela endaweni esele siyibiza kwanjesi bona yiZimbabwe esetjingalanga kanye neBotswana esepumalanga, kodwana amanje amalunga wesitjhabesi agcina atjhinge etjingalanga yeLimpopo atlama ihlokodorobha endaweni ebizwa bona se-Schroda.
Iinzathu zokobana bafudukelani azaziwa. Amanye ama-archaeologists athi ubujamo bezulu babanqono esifundenesi ekwakufumela abalimi bona babuyele kiyo. Amanye athi awa izulu lana ngemva kweminyaka eyi-100 sele bafuduka. U-Thomas Huffman, ngakwelinye ihlangothi, ubeke umbono wokobana barherhwa ziindlovu kanye ne-ivory okwenza bona bawelele umlambo.

Ukurhweba nge-Ivory

Ukurhweba nge-ivory kwakubonakala hlangana neZimbabwe kanye netlhagwini yepumalanga ukusukela ngeminyaka yabo-800 AD, njeke igugu lezinyo lendloveli sele litlanyiwe. Kusukela gade, begodu nanamhlanjesi neendlovu ezinengi esifundeni sangeLimpopo lokhu kwenza isiqiniseko sokuba khona kwerhawuda emhlophe Indlela indlovu iphila ngayo itlhadlhula ukobana kungebangalani, imizi eminengi yesitjhaba samaZhizo yakhiwe kude nemlanjeni, lapha iindlovu ezomileko egade zizokugadanga khona iintjalo zabo ezisemasimini.
Ukuragela phambili, indawo ye-Schroda iphethe ubufakazi bokuthoma bemisebenzi ye-Ivory yeskotlelo, etjengisa abantu besitjhaba samaZhizo babumba zinto ngezinyo lendlovu egade bayokurhweba ngazo. Kwatholwa nemincamo yerhalasi endaweni le, ekutjhengisa bona abantu bamaZhizo gade bathintana nasitetjhi sama-Arab sokurhweba egade sisetlhagwini pumalanga (egade sisendaweni ye-Bazaruto Archipelago of Mozambique).
Kunemizi embalwa yebantu bamaZhizo ukuzombeleza i-Shashe-Limpopo basin, kodwana iSchroda ngiyo ekulu. NJ eke kuqatjangwa bona gade kuhlala iinkosi ezinjingileko begodu gade iyihloko dorobha. Ubukhulu behlokodorobha le bunghlala abantu okungasenani abahlangana kwe-300 kuya ku-500 kanye nabanye amangaba yi-300 and 500 abahlala eendaweni eziyizombelezileko.

Umphakathi Onelwazi Lezinto Zephasi

©David Fleminger
Isiko lamaZhizo bekubonakala kulisiko elinelwazi lezinto zephasi. Gade banefuyo ekubalwa neenkomo begodu balima nesphila. Ama-Archaeologists athole izinto ezibunjwe ngedaka ezinengi ezifana nenlwane, abantu akanye nabenzi abakarisako ebangakghoni ukubatlhadlhula kuhle. Kuqatjangwa bona izintwezi gade kungezinye zeziinto egade bazenza engomeni. Begodu bezisetjenziselwa ukutjengisa iimfundiso ngepilo, ithando kanye nomsebenzi. Llei lisiko egade lisabalale neSewula Afrika yoke.
Namhlanje, akunamatjhwayo abonakalako womphakathi weSchroda, begodu iimvakatjhi azikavunyelwa ukuya endaweni engakatjhwaya le ngaphandle kokukhamba nomhlahlindlela kanye nokuthola imvume ekhathekileko. Kuthenjwa bona indawo le izokuvulelwa umphakathi ngemva koko ibhoduluko elingakaqinileli sele liqinisiwe lafikelwa. i-Schroda isendaweni esemgceleni weMapungubwe National Park, nekulibanga elifitjhani nawuya epumalanga yendunduma ngokwayo.

Translated by Busisiwe Skhosana