Notes on Zhizo leokwe macro botanical remains from Schroda Limpopo Valley

Abstract

We present the results of a macro-botanical analysis of carbonised seeds from Schroda, considered the earliest Limpopo Valley settlement of socio-economic and political prominence in the Mapungubwe sequence. Although not systematically collected during excavation, the identified Cenchrus americanus (pearl millet), Sorghum sp. (sorghum), Vigna unguiculata (cowpea), and wild plant remains contribute towards building the regional dataset necessary to understand Middle Iron Age plant use in the Limpopo Valley. The probable identification of Vigna radiata (mung bean), introduced to the region through Indian Ocean trade networks, could be the earliest example of this crop’s presence in the interior of southern Africa.