Contemporary authors on African urbanism regularly repeat reports by early European travellers
of large Tswana settlements with populations of approximately 20,000, apparently the same size
as Cape Town at that time. These settlements, called agro-towns, unlike Mapungubwe and Great
Zimbabwe, are mostly described in academic publications, while very few architects know what
they really looked like. This article applies quantitative analysis to the plans of the ruins of certain
distinctive Tswana stone-walled homesteads and villages by exploring the physical attributes such
as size, shape, geometries, spatial patterns and land-use intensities. Sizes are subsequently compared
with those of pertinent frontier towns of that period, as well as those of Great Zimbabwe, which
are widely recognised and undisputed as urban entities. The purpose of the investigation is simply
to enhance the understanding and appreciation of Tswana settlements, vis-à-vis contemporaneous
European towns and those of the Shona some time earlier.
Hedendaagse skrywers oor Afrika stedelikheid herhaal gereeld verslae deur vroeë Europese reisigers
van groot Tswana nedersettings met bevolkings van ongeveer 20,000 inwoners. Hierdie nedersettings
word agri-dorpe genoem, maar anders as Mapungubwe en Groot Zimbabwe word hulle meestal
in akademiese publikasies beskryf en baie min argitekte weet hoe hulle regtig gelyk het. Hierdie
artikel pas ‘n kwantitatiewe ontleding toe op die planne van enkele kenmerkende Tswana klipmuurwonings en nedersettings, deur fisiese eienskappe soos grootte, vorm, geometrie, ruimtelike patrone
en grondgebruik-intensiteit te ondersoek. Oppervlaktes word daarna vergelyk met dié van noemenswaardige
grensdorpe van daardie tyd, sowel as met dié van Groot Zimbabwe wat algemeen en onbetwis
as ’n stedelike entiteit aanvaar word. Die doel van die ondersoek is eenvoudig om die begrip
en waardering van Tswana nedersetting teenoor Europese dorpe van daardie tyd, en teenor dié van
die Shona ietwat vroëer te versterk
