The archaeology of the northern n yang a lowlands and the unfolding farming community sequence in Northeastern Zimbabwe

摘要

The archaeological identity of northeastern Zimbabwe beyond the Nyanga highlands is still poorly understood owing to its marginal location and a lingering perception that the semi-arid regions of southern Africa were never areas of settlement choice by pre-colonial farmers. Geographically, northeastern Zimbabwe is important in the archaeological discourse of southern Africa given it supported the earliest mainland farming communities in southern Africa as defined by the Early Farming Community (EFC) Ziwa Tradition. Within rock art studies, the region presents an important frontier zone between the rock art genres of central and southern Africa. This paper presents the archaeology of Samakande BC, an EFC site in northeastern Zimbabwe and attempts to place it within the context of the wider region. The securely dated site of Samakande extends the geographical extent of Ziwa and its derivatives in northern and northeastern Zimbabwe.