An archaeological perspective of iron production in South-Central Zimbabwe: the case of Mashava Site

This dissertation is a characterisation of the iron technology of Mashava site in south-central Zimbabwe. It aims at establishing the various techniques that were employed in smelting iron at this site. In line with this objective, the study seeks to determine the quality or efficiency of the type of technology used at Mashava to work iron in the past. It also attempts to place the site within its broader technological context of southern Zimbabwe and beyond. Intensive foot surveys and archaeological excavations yielded very interesting technological data from which evidence was gleaned towards meeting the stated objectives. The data recovered include single and multi-tuyeres, broken furnace walls, slag, ores and potsherds. A physical analysis of these cultural materials suggests that the iron technology at Mashava was quite complex and unique in its combined use of single and multi-tuyeres on one furnace. Both slag and tuyere analyses suggest the prevalence of an intense heat-producing and slag tapping technology at Mashava. The geographical extent of ironworking material at the site gives the impression of an extensive iron working industry that produced iron at a large scale. Ironworking remains from Mashava site were also found to be similar to Chigaramboni site. Because these two sites occur within the same geographical context with the premier site of Great Zimbabwe, the study takes a tentative stance that Mashava and Chigaramboni were probably some of the centres that supplied iron to this state system which enjoyed socio-economic and political dominance of southern Africa for at least two and a half centuries. It remains for future researches to verify this tentative position.