Mapungubwe, ancient Bantu civilization on the Limpopo; reports on excavations at Mapungubwe (Northern Transvaal) from February 1933 to June 1935

Abstract

When the Union Government, in June 1933, bought for the nation the farm "Greefswald" on which Mapungubwe is situated, the University of Pretoria, which had acquired the rights of excavation from the previous owner, Mr E. E. Collins, ceded these rights to the Government. In return, the Government entered into an agreement with the University under which the latter body could carry out archaeological investigations at Mapungubwe for a period of five years, with a guarantee of substantial financial support for the work. The Minister of the Interior, the Hon. J. H. Hofmeyr, under whose charge archaeological investigations fall, set up a special Committee, the Archaeological Committee of the University of Pretoria, which was to be responsible for all the work in connexion with the proposed excavations. It had to raise funds for this purpose, direct operations in the field, arrange for the publication of accounts of the work done and present an annual report and balance sheet to the Minister. The Committee was to consist of representatives of the Government, the University of Pretoria and the public; for the Minister laid down as a principle that, since the investigations at Mapungubwe were deemed to be of national importance, not only the Government and the University were interested but also the public. Therefore some measure of financial support should be expected from the public as well. In this we were not disappointed, as is related elsewhere.