I-Mapungubwe Iveziwe

Izibunjwa Zegolide zItholakele

©Roger de la Harpe
Ulwazi ngokuhweba eMapungubwe luqale lwavela ngawo-1930, lapho abantu abamhlophe beqala ukuhlola lentaba okokuqala. Bengenandaba ngenkolo zezizwe kanye nalokho ababekucabanga mayelana no-okhokho. Laba baphenyi bokuqala bathola amathuna angamashumi amabili nantathu. Iningi lalabo abangcwatshwayo lalingenakwenzeka, kodwa abathathu babenamathuna amangazayo ngempela. Omunye wabo, uNombolo shumi nane, wayengowesifazane owangcwatshwa endaweni ehlezi, engalele.
Nokho, ngokungaqondakali, kwakungumhlobiso wakhe womngcwabo. Wayegqoke amabhengele egolide angaphezu kwekhulu azungeze izinyawo zakhe, futhi ithuna lakhe laliqukethe ubuhlalu begolide obuyinkulungwane eziyishumi (esilinganisa 2.2 kg) kanye no-26 000 ubuhlalu beglasi. Abamtholayo kwakudingeka baphathe lezi zinto ngebhakede. Ingcwaba yesibili ebalulekile kwakuyindoda, futhi wangcwatshwa ehlezi, owayegqoka umgexo wegolide wobuhlalu kanye namagobolondo e-cowrie. Wayegqoke ezinye izinto zenziwe ngephepha legolide - enye yazo efana nengwenya.
Nokho, ukutholakala okudumile kunazo zonke kwakunomuntu wobulili obungaziwa owangcwatshwa ngezinto ezintathu zegolide: isitsha (mhlawumbe esetshenziselwa umqhele noma umhlobiso wekhanda), intonga (noma umlenze) kanye nobhejane omncane. Kunezicucu eziningana zegolide zobhejane ezitholakala emathuneni, kodwa abavubi ababejabule kakhulu abazange babhale lapho bathola khona. Njengoba amanye amathuna entabeni ayengenazo izinto eziyigugu, kungacatshangwa ukuthi laba bantu abathathu babaluleke kakhulu, nakuba isimo sabo sangempela asikwazi ukukwaziwa. Owesifazane, isibonelo, kungenzeka ukuthi wayengumama wasebukhosini, udade, umfazi, noma indlovukazi yaseMapungubwe.

Umbukiswa Wamazwe

©David Fleminger
Ubhejane wegolide manje waziwa emhlabeni wonke. Kuyinto encane kodwa eyakhiwe ngobuciko, eyakhiwe ngokugqokisa umfanekiso obaziwe wezinkuni ngegolide. Izindwangu ezincane zegolide ezibomvu, ezinye ezingu-0.5 mm ubukhulu, zahlanganiswa kanye nezipikili ezincane zegolide. Nakuba ubhejane bequkethe uphondo olulodwa (okuye kwaphakamisa ukuphikisa kwabanye ukuthi ubhejane waseSumatran onophondo owodwa, njalo abantu baseMapungubwe babenosizo lwangaphandle ekuthuthukeni kwabo), ukumfanekiso wawunembile ngokuphelele. U-Huffman waze wachaza ukuthi mhlaumbe ubhejane omnyama. Abanye obhejane batholakale entabeni yeMapungubwe, kodwa abaphelelanga.
Naphezu kokubaluleka kobhejane wegolide, kufanele kuqashelwe ukuthi asazi ukuthi ubhejane kwakuyisibonakaliso esibaluleke kakhulu noma isibongo sabantu baseMapungubwe. Ukubonakaliswa kwezinye izilwane kutholakale entabeni, kanti ubhejane kungenzeka ukuthi wayeyingxenye eyodwa yezimpawu ezingokomoya. Akucaci ukuthi ngabe igolide lanyakaziswa yini futhi lasebenza kusayithi, noma kwenye indawo yezimboni ezikhona kwenye indawo yezwe. Noma kunjalo, ubhejane wegolide uyisithonjana esingenakulinganiswa somlando weAfrika kanye nokuba yinto ekhangayo kakhulu emyuziyamu yeMapungubwe.

Inzuzo Engokomoya Nezimali

Abantu baseMapungubwe bakhombisa inhlonipho kwabafileyo bawo ngezinto zegolide nobuhlalu obonisa ukuthi insimbi eyigugu ayengeyona nje ezohwebo; ithole ukusetshenziswa kwendawo, okwakungokomoya kanye nemali. Noma kunjalo, kwakukhona ukuhwebelana okuningi okwenzeka phakathi kweMapungubwe nogu.
Njengase K2, abantu baseMapungubwe bathengisa igolide, izinyolo kanye nethusi ngenxa yobuhle bezingilazi zangaphandle, ababezisebenzisa ukudala izinto ezihlobisayo zokubaluleka komphakathi. Izinkulungwane eziningi zalezi ubuhlalu, kanye namadiskhi ayenziwe ngamaqanda ezinsikazi kanye nobuhlalu obubuthakathaka obenziwe ngamagobolondo omnenke, atholakala esakhiweni. Ngesinye isikhathi, ibhodlela elikhulu eligcwaliswe ngobuhlalu litholakala emhumeni oseduze. Amagobolondo e-Cowrie, uhlobo lwemali olwalusetshenziselwa kabanzi emhlabeni wonke wasendulo, nawo atholakale kwelinye lamathuna asebukhosini. Izicucu eziningana zama-ceramics aseShayina abuthakathaka zaziveziwe egqumeni, okumelwe ukuthi laliyingxenye yenkomishi zetiye zendlovukazi. Imishini yokuthunga ivele okokuqala ngqa eMapungubwe, futhi lokhu kusikhombisa ukuthi abantu baseMapungubwe babezithungela izingubo. Ukotini wawuyisitshalo somdabu, kodwa ubuchwepheshe bokusikhipha kungenzeka ukuthi bungenisiwe kusuka ogwini.

Translated by Nsika Khoza