The theme forms part of a larger research project on
Mgungundlovu with the purpose to establish and develop a
Provincial Site Museum. During surveys of the site three
different smithing areas were located.
Mgungundlovu is situated in the Makhosini valley in Zululand.
The valley forms part of the greater White Mfolozi
drainage system. Mgungundlovu was the residence of the Zulu
king Dingane and was occupied from 1829 to 1838. During
this period the king controlled most of the area between the
present day Transkei in the south and Delagoa Bay in the
north. Trade was conducted with the Portuguese at the Bay
where brass and other goods were traded, primarily with
ivory, and transported to Mgungundlovu by Tsonga carriers.
The king exercised strict control over the trade, production
and distribution of brass. Smiths were compelled to work at
the royal homestead where they manufactured prestige ornaments
which consisted mainly of arm and neck rings and beads. These were distributed to the Zulu elite under close royal
supervision as well as to the warriors as special awards.
An interdisciplinary method was adopted in that archaeological,
ethnographical and historiographical sources were consulted.
Very little information exists in any one particular
source. Data occurs scattered in the literature and
museum documents and no other copper smithing site has been
excavated to date.
The aim is therefore to summarize the existing data and excavate
the smithing areas at Mgungundlovu in order to
acquire new data with regard to brass smithing and site utilization.
Attention is given to the history of brass, the
nature and source of the brass at Mgungundlovu, status of
the smith in society, the smithing process, the periods
during which the different sites were in operation and the
distribution and function of brass ornaments.
No specific theoretical approach was followed. The primary
aim is to interpret the information and to make a descriptive
reconstruction of a process that no longer exists. It
should also have a museological application within the overall
objectives of the Mgungundlovu research project.
A theo~etical model of the distribution network of brass in
the social hierarchy, based on the social structure of Mgungundlovu,
is proposed by means of a diagrammatical representation.
Die onderwerp varm deel van 'n grater navarsingsprajek aar
Mgungundlovu met die oog op die vestiging en ontwikkeling
van 'n Provinsiale Terreinmuseum. Terreinapnames vir die
prajek het aan die lig gebring dat daar anderskeidelik drie
geelkaperbewerkingsareas op die terrein vaarkam.
Mgungundlovu is in Zululand gelee in ‘n gebied wat bekend
staan as die Makhasinivallei, ‘n deel van die grater Wit
Mfalazidreineringsisteem. Dit was die haofsetel van die
Zulukoning Dingane en is vir die periode 1829 tot 1838 bewoon.
Gedurende die tydperk het die Zulukoning beheer uitgeoefen
oor ‘n gebied wat strek vanaf die hedendaagse Transkei
in die suide tot Delagoabaai in die noorde. Lewendige
handel is met die Partugese te Delagoabaai gevoer, o.a in
geelkoper wat van die Portugese geruil is vir hoofsaaklik
ivoor en deur Tsongadraers na Mgungundlovu vervoer is.
Die koning het streng beheer oor die handel in gelkoper asook
die produksie en verspreiding van geelkopervoorwerpe uitgeoefen. Kopersmede was verplig om by die koninklike
nedersettings hul bedryf te beoefen waar hulle prestigevoorwerpe,
hoofsaaklik arm- en nekringe en krale vervaardig het.
Sodanige voorwerpe is onder beheer van die koning na die
Zulu-elite versprei en ook vir verdienstelikheid aan die
krygers toegeken.
'n Interdissiplinere werksmetode is gevolg deurdat argeologiese,
etnografiese en historiografiese bronne benut is. Daar is tot op hede nog geen ander argeologiese ondersoek na
geelkoperbewerking gedoen nie. Inligting oor die onderwerp
kom verspreid in die literatuur en museumbronne voor. Die
oogmerk van die studie is eerstens om 'n samevatting van alle
inligting in die literatuur en ander dokumentere bronne
te maak. Tweedens is die smidsterreine by Mgungundlovu argeologies
ondersoek met die doel om bestaande inligting te
bevestig en aan te vul en ook om nuwe data met betrekking
tot geelkoperbewerking en tereinbenutting by Mgungundlovu te
bekom. Aandag word geskenk aan die geskiedenis van geelkoper,
die aard en herkoms van die geelkoper by Mgungundlovu,
die posisie en status van die kopersmid in die gemeenskap,
die bewerkingsproses, die bedryfsperiodes van die
smidswerke en die distribusie van geelkoper met inbegrip van
die funksie en waarde daarvan.
Geen bepaalde teoretiese benadering word gevolg nie. Die
primere doel van die studie is om die inligting te interpreteer
en 'n beskrywende rekonstruksie te maak van 'n proses
wat vandag nie meer bestaan nie, naamlik geelkoperbewerking,
wat binne die oorhoofse doelwitte van die Mgungundlovu-navorsingsprojek ook van museologiese toepassingswaarde sal
wees.
'n Teoretiese model vir die distribusie van geelkoper in die
sosiale hierargie van die Zulu, gegrond op die sosiale
struktuur van Mgungundlovu, word diagrammaties aangebied.