Mapungubwe Hill
Mapungubwe
South Africa · Limpopo
In brief
The elite settlement and graves on the hill yielded important finds documenting social stratification and long-distance trade in southern Africa. Scientific excavations that began in 1933 uncovered gold-covered figures and rich grave goods.
What was found?
- 1Gold rhinoceros
This animal figure was made by shaping thin gold sheet around a core. It is an important example of Mapungubwe's intricate metalworking.
- 2Gold bovine figure
The gold animal figures recovered from excavations include a bovine. It documents the use of animal forms in precious metal objects.
- 3Gold feline figure
This gold figure is identified as a leopard in the University of Pretoria's collection description. Together with the rhinoceros and bovine, it forms the group of figurative gold objects.
- 4Gold beads
Numerous gold beads forming necklace strands have been found. They show that gold was also used to produce small decorative pieces.
- 5Gold scepter
Described as a scepter or scepter head, this object consists of thin gold covering originally attached to a wooden core. Its elaborate craftsmanship makes it one of the collection's principal pieces.
What does it point to?
The gold objects demonstrate specialized craftsmanship alongside a substantial accumulation of wealth. According to researchers, the separation of the ruling settlement on the hill from the surrounding population was associated with leadership invested with sacred status and pronounced social stratification.
What did it teach us?
- It documented the working of thin gold sheets to make figures and a scepter.
- The settlement layout showed that the ruling group was spatially separated from surrounding communities.
- Imported porcelain and glass beads revealed that the inland kingdom was connected to Indian Ocean trade networks.
Images


Record
- Culture
- Kingdom of Mapungubwe
- First modern dig
- 1933
- Team / historical
- University of Pretoria
- Coordinates
- -22.1925°, 29.2389°
Sources
- whc.unesco.org
- repository.up.ac.za
- Pretoria Üniversitesi Müzeleri — Altın koleksiyonu
- Pretoria Üniversitesi Müzeleri / Google Arts & Culture — Altın asa
- Güney Afrika Cumhurbaşkanlığı — Mapungubwe eserleri
Nearby excavations
- Khami Ruins 243 km
- Danamombe 250 km
- Great Zimbabwe 277 km
- Border Cave 605 km
- Sibhudu Cave 836 km
- Wonderwerk Cave 850 km
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- 12.000
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All excavation sites (395)
Türkiye
- Acemhöyük
- Aizanoi
- Alabanda
- Alacahöyük
- Amos
- Ani
- Aphrodisias
- Arslantepe Mound
- Aspendos
- Assos
- Ayanis Fortress
- Aşıklı Höyük
- Barcın Höyük
- Blaundus
- Boncuklu Höyük
- Can Hasan I
- Carchemish
- Claros Sanctuary
- Clazomenae
- Domuztepe
- Ephesus
- Euromus
- Gordion
- Göbekli Tepe
- Hadrianopolis in Paphlagonia
- Hattusha
- Hierapolis
- Iasos
- Kaman-Kalehöyük
- Karahantepe
- Karatepe-Aslantaş
- Kaunos
- Kibyra
- Knidos
- Kültepe-Kanesh
- Laodicea on the Lycus
- Letoon Sanctuary
- Limyra
- Magnesia on the Maeander
- Medieval City of Beçin
- Metropolis in Ionia
- Miletus
- Myra
- Nemrut Dağ
- Nysa on the Maeander
- Olympus in Lycia
- Oymaağaç Höyük — Nerik
- Patara
- Pergamon
- Perge
- Phaselis
- Priene
- Sagalassos
- Sanctuary of Apollo at Didyma
- Sanctuary of Labraunda
- Sapinuwa
- Sardis
- Sayburç
- Side
- Stratonikeia
- Tell Atchana – Alalakh
- Teos
- Tripolis on the Meander
- Troy
- Uluburun Shipwreck
- Xanthos
- Yenikapı – Theodosian Harbour Excavations
- Yeşilova Höyük
- Yumuktepe
- Zerzevan Castle
- Zeugma
- Zincirli Höyük — Sam'al
- Çatalhöyük
- Çavuştepe Fortress
- Çayönü
- Çukuriçi Höyük