Masorini

I am back in Tzaneen and already caught up with some friends.  I am sitting in Wimpy, drinking coffee and waiting for a phone call from the guy making my canopy.  Once I have the canopy on, my stuff will be secure in the back and I will be able to start travelling properly.  Initially I will go up into the Mapungobwe NP in the very north of Limpopo, which is a cultural site and associated with the Great Zimbabwe civilisation.  While I am in the cultural mindset I will also duck into Zimbabwe (to see Great Zimbabwe) and associated sites in Botswana.

When I was in Kruger NP the other day I visited an African Iron Age (200 CE to about 1800 CE) site which had been excavated and partially reconstructed for visitors to the Park.  It was an interesting place as it was an iron ore smelting site and not agricultural/pastoral.  However, I find it hard to fathom as it was located approximately 15 km from the nearest iron ore and 8 km from the nearest water?  When I pointed this out to the guide, he said that nobody knows why.  Anyway here are some photos:

Some of the stone artefacts found in this iron age site, including microliths and 'hand axes'.  I actually found a 'hand axe' almost the same as these on the SanWild Reserve once.

Some of the iron artefacts found at Masorini.  I initially thought they were spear points but according to the captions they are hoes and digging tools

A reconstructed iron ore smelting furnace.

An un-reconstructed iron ore smelting furnace.

One of the cooking pots recovered.

Clay air flues used in the furnaces.

One of the reconstructed huts.  Given the size of them I would say they were just used for sleeping and all other domestic activity was conducted outdoors.

Another reconstructed hut and cooking hearth.