Ingqokelela Yase Mapungubwe
Isuntswana Nje Lobutyebi
Idyunivesithi yase Pitoli igcine uninzi lwezinto ezafunyanwa eMapungubwe kunye nase K2, Ze enye ingqokelela embalwa igcinwe Kwi Dyunivesithi yase Wits. Ngelishwa, lembali ingenamkhondo kusenokwenzeka ukuba ilisuntswana nje lobutyebi base Mapungubwe. Kuba eliqhina lime qelele lodwa, kwakunzima ukuba igadwe kwaye izinto ezininzi zabiwe kwesi siza ekuhambeni kweminyaka. Kumane kusithi thu amarhe wegolide esezandleni zabaqokeleli bobucwebe babucala. Izinto ezikhethekileyo ezisuka kwiDyunivesithi yase Pitoli sele zidekwe ngokusisigxina kwi Muziyamu yase Mapungubwe, nevulelwe uwonke-wonke.
Izinto ezihamba phambili ngokunika umtsalane kwi Muziyamu yase Mapungubwe ngumkhombe we golide wodumo, intonga yegolide kunye nesitya segolide. Esi sithathu sikumbindi wezinto apha, uSian Tiley azibiza ngokuba si‘Sithsaba soMzantsi Afrika. Kodwa le ngqokelela iqulathe ngaphezu koko. Kuba igolide ithambile kwaye iyinkcenkce enokunyibilika, abantu baseMapungubwe babeyinyibilikia baze bayibumbe ukuze benze izinto ezahlukileyo. Ukombathisa ngamacwecwe egolide yayiyindlela yokwenza imihombiso emihle. Amacwecwe aceke-ceke egolide ayebethelelwa ngobuchule kwimithi ekroliweyo ukuze kuphume imifanekiso emihle ebengezelayo elangeni. Iintsimbi zazisenziwa ngokwenza umngxunyana kwiqabazana elincinane legolide. Ucingo lwegolide olunkqonkqiweyo lwalusenziwa imigexo yezihlahla. Igolide yayisenziwa iibhengile kunye nobunye ubucwebe obumile ngeendlela ezinomtsalane. Zonke ke ezi zinto zazisenziwa kulendawo, kwaye akukho bungqina bokuba kwakhe kwabakho enye yazo elahlwayo okanye ethengiswayo.
Babephambene zii Ntsimbi
Njengobungqina bokusetyenziswa kwe golide ngaba bantu bemvelo yase Afrika, le ngqokelela iqulathe imikhombe emibini eyenziwe ngegolide, inani lemiqolo yezilwanyana ezenziwe ngegolide, kwakunye nama waka-waka ezikhonkwane ezenziwe ngegolide. Kukwakho neentsalela zento yokungqiyama eyenziwe ngegolide kwakunye nezinye izinto ezahlukeneyo zokuhombisa. Amawaka eentsimbi zegolide afunywana ethe saa emangcwabeni, kodwa kungenzeka ukuba ayekade ehlohlwe kuboya benkomo okanye kwintambo encinci yesityao esithile. Mhlawumbi ke zazihlohlwa kwenziwe ngazo imigexo yentamo neyezihlahla emihle. Ukukrobisa abatyeleli indlela eyayikhangeleka ngayo lemigexo, le muziyamu iphinde yazihlohla ezinye zezi ntsimbi.
Abantu base Mapungubwe babephambene nazi ntsimbi ke! Le ngqokelela iqulathe amawaka eentsimbi zegilasi ezisuka kwihlabathi lonke jikelele. Iintsimbi ezinkulu ezibizwa nge ‘garden roller’ ezisuka eK2, iintsimbi zamatye ezenziwe nge calcite kunye ne quartz; iintsimbi ezenziwe ngamaqanda eenciniba; iintsimbi ezenziwe ngamakhoba aselwandle kwakunye neentsimbi ezenziwe ngenyekevu yomhlaba. Kukholeleka ekubeni iintsimbi zaziluphawu lwesikhundla okanye isimo esithile. Iintsingiselo ezahlukileyo zazinikwa umbala ngamnye. Emhlophe yayithetha ubunyulu, emnyaka ithetha izinyanya, eluhlaza ithetha ukuzala/isizalo njalo njalo. Zikhona ke neentsimbi ezimbalwa ezizuba umbala nezazixabiseke ngolona hlobo kulo mmandla. Ekupheleni kweminyaka yoo 1900, umsebenzi wase fama uthi intsimbi enye yoluhlobo yayixabisa i£5 okanye inkomo enye.
Iintsimbi Kunye Nezinye Izinyithi
Amaphondo ayekade elelona shishini lihamba phambili. Uninzi lwee bhengile, imigexo yezihlahla kunye nezinto zokuhombisa ezikulengqokelela zafunyanwa eK2. Azizange zifunyanwe zininzi. Kubonakala ngathi abantu basebukhosini babengazithandisisi izinto ezenziwe ngamaphondo, ngoko ke unintsi lwazo lwaluthunyelwa kwindawo eziselunxwemeni.
Nangona kwafunyanwa igolide kuphela kwinduli yase Mapungubwe, iindawo ezingqongileyo zazizele zizinto zesinyithi ezingenamtsalane ungako. Kwakukho amagaba entsimbi,iintloko zamatolo, iintloko zemikhonto, iibhengile, izikhonkwane, iimela kunye nezinye izinto ezibukhali ezazixhaphake kuninzi lwengingqi zange xesha le iron age. Ibloko ze kopolo, ezaziwa luhlanga lwama Venda njenge musuku, nazo zafunyanwa kulendawo. Kucingelwa ukuba zazinexabiso lezenkolo zakwamoya kunye nelezoshishino. Kwaqokelelwa neqela lezinto ezenziwe nge bronzi kodwa kucingelwa ukuba zazisuka kwamanye amazwe. Kusenokwenzeka ukuba zininzi ezinye izinto ezashiyekayo ngethuba abantu base Mapungubwe befudula, kodwa ke intsimbi kunye nekopolo zivamise ukubola msinyane kunegolide.
Intle kwaye Inomsebenzi
Ezinye izinto ezafunyanwayo ziquka: Iinaliti zokuthunga ezenziwe ngamathamb; izinto zokubamba iinwele ezenziwe ngamathambi; imifanekiso yabantu nezilwanyane eyenziwe ngodongwe (unintsi lwafunyanwa eK2); iingceba zezinto zokuphunga zase China; izitya ezibunjiweyo, amacephe, iimpempe, iijagi, iimbiza kwakunye neekomityi. Izinto ezenziwe ngamatye zase K2 kunye nase Mapungubwe zazivamise ukusetyenziselwa ukupheka, ukusela, nokugcina izinto ezithile. Ngaphandle kwemisebenzi yayo eluncedo, ezi zinto zaziqhele ukwenziwa zibentle kwaye zimile ngendlela enomtsalane. Kwakude kubekho imizobo ethile kumphantsi wazo ongaphakathi. Ingathi zizitya apha ezithengwe kwindawo exabisayo ethengisa izitya ezinemihombiso yase Afrika.
Isithsaba Sabuyiswa
Ekuqaleni, kwaye kungekho ndawo yokubudwelisa isisigxina obu bucwebe bunqabileyo base Mapungubwe. Ekuhambeni kweminyaka, iDyunivesithi yase Pitoli yayixhome/idwelise inqwaba yezinto ezidumileyo nezazijikeleza kwilizwe lonke. Kodwa abantu babengavumelekanga ukungena babuke oku nje mahala. Emva komnyaka ka 1994 kwaye kwacaca ukuba imuziyamu iyadingeka. Umdla wabantu wakhula kakhulu emva koMzantsi Afrika omtsha, kwaye sabanomnqwena wokubanga imbali yethu siyihluthe kumakhamandela wemithetho yocalucalulo. Kwakudingeka imizekeliso namaphawu amatsha athetha naqhayisa ngembali yase Afrika. Abantu babefuna ukubona umkhombe wegolide! Ngaxesha ny, iqela lezinto zegolide ezibalulekileyo (kuquka umkhombe wegolide) zazisele zithunyelwe kwi British Museum ukuze zibuyiselwe esimweni. Konke oku kwakuxabisa imali eninzi kwaye kwathatha ixesha, kodwa ke iziphumo zazinikisa umdla kakhulu. Ngovuyo, emva kwamalungiselelo, iMuziyamu yase Mapungubwe yavula iingcango zayo ngomnyaka ka 2000. Imi kwisakhiwo esidala esibizwa nge Old Arts Building kweyona (main) Dyunivesithi yase Pitoli. ‘Isitshaba’ sabuyiselwa kubantu base Mzantsi Afrika.
Translated by
Zizipho Silwana
