Abstract:
A common cultural practice within southern Africa is the organisation
of youths as part of an initiation ceremony. Literature refers to this
practice as regimental groups, age regimental groups, age sets or
simply as age groupings (Kuper 1954, 1986; Hughes 1956; Hoernlé
1962; Omer-Cooper 1966; Laband 1995; Knight 1995). After the
period of aggression among the northern Nguni of the late 18th and
early 19th centuries, a new version of the regimental system had
developed. A key component of the new system was the military settlement, which acted as an administrative centre in addition to providing
regimental housing. Called amakhanda (sing. ikhanda), each
community had its own architectural and socio-demographic organisation. Amakhanda were built in close association with traditional
family homesteads (imizi). The close proximity and physical
similarities between these two settlement types makes it difficult to
distinguish them apart in the archaeological record. This study therefore examines the archaeological signature of each settlement form in
order to determine whether or not it can be distinguished from any
other within the archaeological record. This was done by examining
and comparing the size, function and cultural material deposition of
each settlement type. It was found that differences existed in the size of
the central enclosure, the number and placement of huts, along with
different faunal and cultural material assemblages. It emerges that
these two settlements were sufficiently distinct in their function so
that they represent unique features and material signatures that can be
used to distinguish them in the archaeological record.
