Compositional analysis of c13th century AD Mapungubwe ceramics in South Africa : regional, local and household connections
(2025) In Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 17(11).- Abstract
The 13th century AD in southern Africa is a period associated with the emergence of class-based society and the establishment of Mapungubwe as the capital of a regional state. This study reports on ceramics excavated from four households at Bosbokpoort, a small Mapungubwe settlement situated approximately 95 km from Mapungubwe. By combining traditional stylistic analysis with chemical (pXRF) and mineralogical techniques (optical petrology), the research explores how pottery production and use reflected both regional Mapungubwe influences and local practices at the household level. The ceramic assemblage was predominantly characteristic of the Mapungubwe ceramic style, along with sherds from the Eiland ceramic facies. Mineralogical... (More)
The 13th century AD in southern Africa is a period associated with the emergence of class-based society and the establishment of Mapungubwe as the capital of a regional state. This study reports on ceramics excavated from four households at Bosbokpoort, a small Mapungubwe settlement situated approximately 95 km from Mapungubwe. By combining traditional stylistic analysis with chemical (pXRF) and mineralogical techniques (optical petrology), the research explores how pottery production and use reflected both regional Mapungubwe influences and local practices at the household level. The ceramic assemblage was predominantly characteristic of the Mapungubwe ceramic style, along with sherds from the Eiland ceramic facies. Mineralogical analysis indicated that the majority of the Mapungubwe ceramics at Bosbokpoort were made locally, with some produced elsewhere in the Limpopo River valley. The clay utilized in the manufacture of the Eiland ceramics were sourced from regions further to the south, where most Eiland communities occur. This approach highlights the active role of local communities in negotiating their identities and relationships within the larger Mapungubwe sociopolitical landscape.
(Less)
- author
- Hurter, Juané ; Antonites, Alexander ; Lindahl, Anders LU and Ashley, Ceri
- organization
- publishing date
- 2025-11
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- African Iron Age, Ceramics, Mapungubwe, Optical petrology, PXRF
- in
- Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences
- volume
- 17
- issue
- 11
- article number
- 221
- publisher
- Springer
- external identifiers
-
- scopus:105021411833
- ISSN
- 1866-9557
- DOI
- 10.1007/s12520-025-02320-5
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- Publisher Copyright: © The Author(s) 2025.
- id
- ca1a3c43-3085-4c8b-8fe0-7989ed7323b0
- date added to LUP
- 2025-12-11 15:19:48
- date last changed
- 2025-12-11 15:19:54
@article{ca1a3c43-3085-4c8b-8fe0-7989ed7323b0,
abstract = {{<p>The 13th century AD in southern Africa is a period associated with the emergence of class-based society and the establishment of Mapungubwe as the capital of a regional state. This study reports on ceramics excavated from four households at Bosbokpoort, a small Mapungubwe settlement situated approximately 95 km from Mapungubwe. By combining traditional stylistic analysis with chemical (pXRF) and mineralogical techniques (optical petrology), the research explores how pottery production and use reflected both regional Mapungubwe influences and local practices at the household level. The ceramic assemblage was predominantly characteristic of the Mapungubwe ceramic style, along with sherds from the Eiland ceramic facies. Mineralogical analysis indicated that the majority of the Mapungubwe ceramics at Bosbokpoort were made locally, with some produced elsewhere in the Limpopo River valley. The clay utilized in the manufacture of the Eiland ceramics were sourced from regions further to the south, where most Eiland communities occur. This approach highlights the active role of local communities in negotiating their identities and relationships within the larger Mapungubwe sociopolitical landscape.</p>}},
author = {{Hurter, Juané and Antonites, Alexander and Lindahl, Anders and Ashley, Ceri}},
issn = {{1866-9557}},
keywords = {{African Iron Age; Ceramics; Mapungubwe; Optical petrology; PXRF}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{11}},
publisher = {{Springer}},
series = {{Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences}},
title = {{Compositional analysis of c13th century AD Mapungubwe ceramics in South Africa : regional, local and household connections}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12520-025-02320-5}},
doi = {{10.1007/s12520-025-02320-5}},
volume = {{17}},
year = {{2025}},
}