Mapungubwe and the first kingdom of southern Africa

800 years ago, the city of Mapungubwe was the capital of

the first kingdom in southern Africa, which thrived as a

sophisticated trading centre from around 1220 to 1290.

Gold ornaments, glass trade beads and other ancient objects

discovered in the 1930s led to further investigation by the University of

Pretoria. They unearthed a wealth of archaeological material that reflected the

life and activities of an advanced society – one which flourished and declined

within just 100 years.

The city traded with China, India

and Egypt, had a thriving agricultural industry, and may have grown to a

population of around 5,000. The city had access to the Limpopo River, which

connected the region through trade to other sites along the Indian Ocean.

Mapungubwe is the earliest known

site in southern Africa where evidence of a class-based society existed, as the

leaders were spatially separated from the rest of the inhabitants. The homes,

diet and elaborate burials of the wealthy elite are in stark contrast to those

less well-off, who lived at the foot of Mapungubwe and the surrounding plateau.

These gold

sculptures, discovered in three royal graves, are among the most iconic in

Africa today. They depict animals of high status – an ox, a wild cat and a

rhinoceros – and artworks associated with power – a sceptre and a bowl or

crown.

These artworks were discovered

alongside hundreds of gold objects, including bracelets and beads, at

Mapungubwe. Gold was mined in the surrounding regions and traded with the coast

as part of a wider international network. The precious metal became a status

symbol for the kingdom’s rulers.

Since their discovery, these

works have had a fascinating history. Although many pieces of sculpture,

including these magnificent examples, were known to exist, they were not

included in official histories promoted by the South African state. From 1948 the

government introduced laws that enforced a system of racial segregation known

as apartheid, meaning ‘separateness’. During this period, the official version

of history that was promoted stated that South Africa had been an ‘empty land’

before European settlement in 1652. In fact, these wonderful works are part of

an ancient and ongoing  South African art tradition, showing that people

existed in South Africa long before European settlement.

See these incredible sculptures

in our special exhibition South Africa: the art of a nation (27

October 2016 – 26 February 2017).

Exhibition sponsored by Betsy and

Jack Ryan

Logistics partner IAG Cargo

Gold figurines. From Mapungubwe,

capital of the first kingdom in southern Africa, c. AD 1250–1290. On loan from

Department of UP Arts, University of Pretoria.