History ( Mapungubwe ) Flashcards
Ancestors
people who have died long ago
sacred
believed to be holy
Where does the king and his family members stay?
The king of Mapungubwe lived at the top of Mapungubwe Hill. He lived there with members of his family and a few other important people. Most of the people who lived at the town of Mapungubwe settled at the bottom of the hill.
What values did the king show to his people
The king showed his power by living on top of the hill. It was believed that the king communicated with the ancestors on behalf of the people. This is called sacred leadership. It was believed that living on the hilltop brought the king closer to the ancestors
what was built in the Mapungubwe times
The first stone walls were built by African farmers at Mapungubwe at the top of the hill. These walls formed part of the king’s palace. They were built with great care and skill. The walls kept the sacred leader, the king, hidden from the people that he ruled.
what was believed in the Mapungubwe times
The people believed that Mapungubwe Hill was a sacred or holy place. It was a place of the ancestors’ spirits. People would not look directly at the hill because it was so sacred.
what must the people do when they go up the hill
When people walked up the hill, they walked up backwards, looking quickly over their left shoulder with their eyes cupped by their hands.
how was the mapungubwe built
Ordinary people were not allowed to climb to the top of the hill. There were two stairways up the hill. Pairs of holes held stone poles to form a narrow stairway. There were stone walls at the top of the stairways. Soldiers who guarded the stairways were called the ‘eyes of the king’.
what was the first town
About 5 000 people lived in the town of Mapungubwe below the hill. It was the first African farming town in southern Africa and the largest African farming settlement of the time.
what was the social hierarchy
The rulers at Mapungubwe lived on top of the hill, and the ordinary people lived in the valley below. In this way, the social hierarchy was physically obvious as ordinary people were kept separate from the rulers.
what was hard to find? and what did they use it for
Gold was not mined at Mapungubwe, but was brought from mines further north. Gold was very difficult to get out of the ground. It was also very scarce. The gold was mixed with other metals, heated and then shaped into objects. Gold does not rust and it lasts forever. All these properties made it very valuable, as it still is today.
how is a persons Status calculated
A person’s status or importance in society is how other people see him or her. A symbol is a sign that stands for something else. So gold was a status symbol of power and importance.
How was the Golden rhino Made? What was it’s value?
The golden rhinoceros was made of sheets of thinly beaten gold leaf, pinned with gold tacks to a carved wooden base in the form of a rhino. The rhino was a symbol of leadership because it is fierce and likes to be left alone. The horn of the rhino symbolises the role of the leader as the protector of his people.
How was the Golden scepter made? What was it’s properties
A sceptre (Object 2) is a staff carried by a king as a symbol of authority. Finely-beaten pure gold was attached to a wooden core, which shows that the craftsmen were very skilled.This is the golden sceptre. Modern day royalty carry a sceptre. It is a symbol of leadership. Comparing and observing how things are used today can give us clues to help us understand people in the past
What else was made
Hundreds of gold beads were found in royal graves on Mapungubwe Hill . Only the king and his family had gold beads, which were symbols of their power and leadership. Even today, only important people wear gold beads among the Tshivenda speaking people who live in the area.
