Vukona bya vanhu va Zhizo e Schroda, ndzhawu leyinga hlayiwa kahle hiti archaeologist e xifundzheni xa Limpopo, byive kona kusukela hi 900 kuya eka 1000 AD. Kutani, ntlawa wuntshwa wa vanhu wufikile endzhawini liya naswona leswi swi endle leswaku vanhu va Zhizo va suka endzhawini liya swinga languteriwanga.
Vanhu lava vatile na swikhuwani leswingana nkhaviso wo hlawuleka, leswikombaka leswaku avari va ndzhavuko wa Leopard’s Kopje lowu awu kumeka e Zimbabwe nale ka swiphemu swa n’walungu wa Afrika Dzonga. Vati endlele mali ya vona endzhawini leyi ayi vuriwa K2, edzongeni wa xintshabyani xa Bambandyanalo.
Vayile emahlweni vatala eka ndzhawu leyi kuringana malembe ya 200 wa malembe. K2, ayifanelangi kuva yi hlanganisiwa na Himalayan peak leyingana vito leri fanaka, leyinga ntshava leyi khommaka nambara ya vumbirhi hiku leha laha misaveni kulandzela ntshava ya Everest. K2 leyi yi thyiwe endzhaku ka maendlelo ya tinambara ya vatshami leyi tivekaka tani hi Koms.
Swapfumeleriwa kuva munhu a ehleketa leswaku vanhu lava vatile e Limpopo hikokwalaho ka xitshembiso lexifanaka xa tindlopfu na timhondzo ta tona leswinga koka rinoko ra rixaka ra Zhizo. Vumbhoni bya archaeology byi tlhela byikomba leswaku timpfula tinile hi matimba swinene hinkarhi lowu leswi aswi endla leswaku vurimi byiva ntirho lowunene.
Kahle kahle, ndzhavuko wa K2 hiwona awu hanyeka swinene kutlula wa vanhu va Zhizo. E maningi-ningini, K2 akuri kaya ra vanhu voringana 1500, naswona vangava va avanyisiwile kuya hitindzhawu leti ati rhandzerile muti wale xikarhi. Hosi ya matimba hiyona leyi ayi fuma ndzhawu leyi, laha ayiri na tindhuna leti ati tirha ehansi kayona.
Ntsinda wa K2 awu kurile kufikela kwalomuya ka 5 hectares, naswona mimiti leyintsongo yive kona eka ndzhawu yoleyo. Handle ka vanhu va Zhizo, hambiswiritano, tindzhawu leti ta vaaki ati tshamile eka misava leyi yonona ya Limpopo. Kuna vumbhoni bya leswaku vanhu va K2 ava rima swilo swohambana hambana.
Ava byala millet, sorghum, ti beans, makwembe na makavatla, naswona ava fuwe tinyimpfu, timbuti na tihomu. Kutshembiwa leswaku ava hlota leswaku vata tatisa leswi va dyaka swona. Ku ehleketiwa leswaku matshamelo yale K2 aya lulamisiwe kurhandzela swivala swa tihomu leswi vanhu vakhale va Bantu avatsdhamisa xiswona eka tiko nkulu. Kuswiveka hindlela yo olova,matshamelo lawa aya vula leswaku xivala xa tihomu xifanele kuva exikarhi kutani tiyindlu tirhandzela xivala.
Leswi aswisiya tihomu exikarhi ka ndzhawu ya vaaki leswi aswi endleka hindlela ya xikombiso; xikombiso xa kunghenelela ka tipolotiki na nkoka waku hlangana ka tihomu na vaaki. Tihomu ati tirhisiwa ku hakela milandzu, kukuma vukati (lobola), ku ololoxa swiphiqo xikan’we naku komba kutshembheka eka hosi. Kahle kahle, matimba ya wanuna aya tikomba hi nhlayo ya tihomu leti arina tona.
E K2, xivala xale xikarhi xa tihomu axitikomba hi vulongo lebyi siyiwaka hi tihomu xikan’we na masalela ya tiyindlu leti longolokeke e tlhelo ka xivala. Tiyindlu tale K2 ti ehleketiwa kuva tiri ta xirhendzevutani laha makhumbi yakona ya endliweke hinkatsakanyo wa vulongo na misava. Kasi e hansi kusindziwe naswona lwangu ri fuleriwile hi byasi. Leyi akuri ndzhawu ya wansati, naswona kutlula 90 wa masirha ya fukuriwile eka tindzhawu leti ati tekiwa tiri ta vavasati.
Vavanuna, eka xiphemu xa vona, vatava va lahleriwile exivaleni kumbe ekusuhi na xona. Ku lahliwa e K2 hintolovelo aswi landzelela maendlelo yokarhi. Mintsumbu ayi lahliwa hi xivumbeko xaku etlela laha tinhloko ati kombisiwa evupela dyambu laha dyambu ritlomutaka kona. Vavasati ava lahliwa eka voko ra ximatsi kasi vavnuna eka voko ra xinene.
Nhlayo yo hlamarisa ‘beast burials’ leyi ayiri na marhambu ya swiharhi xikan’we na swikhuwani leswi fayiweke swikumekile naswona naswona swi ehleketeleriwa kuva na nkoka wa ximoya. Byetlelo e K2 abyitava byi avanyisiwile kuya hi xiyimo eka rixaka. Vanhu lava avanga tekangi kumbe kutekiwa ava tshama emahlweni ka vutshamo lebyi naswona varhangeri va matimba ava tshama enhlokweni ya xivala, ekule na mani na mani. Loko muganga wuya wukula, matshamelo lawa yaye ya kula swinene.
Translated by Ike Ngobeni