Danamombe
Danamombe
Zimbabwe · Matabeleland South
In brief
Also known as Danangombe and Dhlodhlo, the site is an excavation area with stone platforms and surrounding settlement remains. Stratigraphic excavations have yielded finds documenting local production and long-distance exchange; the site's relationship with Torwa and Rozvi history has been reassessed.
What was found?
- 1Local pottery fragments
Mostly plain, burnished or graphite-treated vessel fragments were found. Their shapes and decoration allow the continuity of the Khami phase tradition to be studied.
- 2Glass beads
Khami Indo-Pacific type beads were identified in the lower layers and beads of European origin in the upper layers. Their chemical analyses help compare trade connections and the settlement sequence.
- 3Imported porcelain fragments
Blue-and-white and Nankin porcelains were found in earlier excavations. These imported fragments shed light on the settlement's later connections and dating.
- 4Stone-walled platforms
Artificial platforms and enclosures are located in the main part of the settlement. Excavations on the platform yielded stratified finds together with datable material.
What does it point to?
Danamombe's architecture and imported objects indicate a political center with distant connections. According to the researcher, the substantial continuity of material culture during the transition from Torwa rule to Rozvi rule shows the difficulty of interpreting political identity solely from vessel and bead forms.
What did it teach us?
- Radiocarbon results showed that Danamombe had developed before Rozvi rule.
- According to the researcher, Danamombe developed as a center of power contemporary with Khami, without waiting for its collapse.
- No clear stylistic break corresponding to the change in rule was identified in pottery and beads.
Record
- Culture
- Khami-phase communities associated with the Torwa and Rozvi
- Team / historical
- Leshley Hamandishe Machiridza'nın yayımladığı kazı araştırmaları
- Coordinates
- -19.9467°, 29.3317°
Sources
Nearby excavations
- Khami Ruins 102 km
- Great Zimbabwe 171 km
- Mapungubwe Hill 250 km
- Border Cave 832 km
- Wonderwerk Cave 1,056 km
- Sibhudu Cave 1,079 km
- —
- —
- 12.000
From beneath the soil: latest discoveries
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Heritage Daily ↗ - Roman-period sarcophagus of a child buried with toys found in Romania
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HeritageDaily ↗ - Roman-period grave found in the seating area of the ancient theater in Gölyazı
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Arkeofili ↗ · Excavation notebook - New prehistoric settlement identified on the shore of the Dardanelles
A newly published study presented Yaylatepe Höyük, identified during surface surveys in 2024, and its pottery spanning the end of the Late Chalcolithic to the beginning of the Late Bronze Age for the first time. According to the researcher, the settlement, which has a visual connection with Asartepe on the opposite shore, contributes to understanding prehistoric coastal connections along the strait.
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