CUS3701 Assignment
3 2024 (629218)-
DUE 6 August 2024
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
[School]
[Course title]
,CUS3701 Assignment 3 2024 (629218)- DUE 6 August 2024
QUESTION 1
Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow. MAPHUNGUBWE
CULTURAL LANDSCAPE The ancient city of Mapungubwe (meaning “hill of the
jackal”) is an Iron Age archaeological site in the Limpopo province on the border
between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, 75 km from Messina. It sits close
to the point where the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers meet. One thousand years ago,
Mapungubwe appears to have been the centre of the largest known kingdom in the
African sub-continent. The civilization thrived as a sophisticated trading centre
from around 1200 to 1300 AD, trading gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt.
The site was “discovered” on 31 December 1932, when a local informant, Mowena,
led E.S.J. van Graan (farmer and prospector), his son and three others to
Greefswald farm on Mapungubwe Hill. On the hill, they noticed stone walls and on
closer inspection, they recovered gold and iron artifacts, pottery and glass beads.
Van Graan's son recognised the academic value of the site and contacted the head of
the Department of History at the University of Pretoria, Professor Leo Fouché. As a
result of his intervention, the University negotiated with the owner of the property,
E.E. Collins. In a legal agreement, the University took ownership of the gold and
other artifacts and secured an option and a contract for excavation rights. The
University also successfully requested a postponement of prospecting, mining and
related activities on Greefswald. In June 1933, Greefswald was bought by the
Government and excavation rights were granted to the University of Pretoria. The
University established an Archaeological Committee, which from 1933 to 1947
oversaw research and excavations (read more about the excavations). Mapungubwe
Hill is 300 m long, broad at one end, tapering at the other. It is only accessible by
, means of two very steep and narrow paths that twist their way to the summit, and
yet 2 000 tons of soil have been artificially transported to the very top by a
prehistoric people of unknown identity. Downloaded by Corona Virus ()
lOMoARcPSD| CUS3701 ASSESSMENT 03/2024 Archaeological enquiry
uncovered the remnants of numerous dwellings, which had been built on the ruins
of predecessors over many generations, resulting in a series of habitation phases.
Radiocarbon dates show that the first buildings were erected below the hill at the
beginning of the 11th century AD. But adjacent to Mapungubwe is the sister site of
Bambandyanalo, which was settled even earlier. It seems that the centre of the state
shifted from Bambandyanalo to Mapungubwe Hill in about 1045 AD, when the
town most probably became overcrowded. It was also at about this time that hills
and mountains became associated with royalty and the noble classes began to build
their structure on high ground. This is an important observation as it provided
evidence of the extensive wealth and social differentiation of the people of
Mapungubwe; in other words, this ancient civilization was class based. The gold
findings are also evidence of early gold smelting. A large number of artifacts from
the royal family were discovered at Mapungubwe. The best known of these objects
is the golden rhinoceros. All in all, the amount of gold from this burial amounted to
7 503 ounces. Greefswald farm remained the property of the State from the 1930s.
Management of the farm was taken over by the provincial Department of Nature
Conservation in 1992 and control was transferred to SANParks in 1999.
Mapungubwe was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in July 2003.
1.1 Write down the following:
• The grade you are going to teach this lesson to.
• The teaching strategy or strategies that you will use.
3 2024 (629218)-
DUE 6 August 2024
QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE ANSWERS
[School]
[Course title]
,CUS3701 Assignment 3 2024 (629218)- DUE 6 August 2024
QUESTION 1
Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow. MAPHUNGUBWE
CULTURAL LANDSCAPE The ancient city of Mapungubwe (meaning “hill of the
jackal”) is an Iron Age archaeological site in the Limpopo province on the border
between South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana, 75 km from Messina. It sits close
to the point where the Limpopo and Shashe Rivers meet. One thousand years ago,
Mapungubwe appears to have been the centre of the largest known kingdom in the
African sub-continent. The civilization thrived as a sophisticated trading centre
from around 1200 to 1300 AD, trading gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt.
The site was “discovered” on 31 December 1932, when a local informant, Mowena,
led E.S.J. van Graan (farmer and prospector), his son and three others to
Greefswald farm on Mapungubwe Hill. On the hill, they noticed stone walls and on
closer inspection, they recovered gold and iron artifacts, pottery and glass beads.
Van Graan's son recognised the academic value of the site and contacted the head of
the Department of History at the University of Pretoria, Professor Leo Fouché. As a
result of his intervention, the University negotiated with the owner of the property,
E.E. Collins. In a legal agreement, the University took ownership of the gold and
other artifacts and secured an option and a contract for excavation rights. The
University also successfully requested a postponement of prospecting, mining and
related activities on Greefswald. In June 1933, Greefswald was bought by the
Government and excavation rights were granted to the University of Pretoria. The
University established an Archaeological Committee, which from 1933 to 1947
oversaw research and excavations (read more about the excavations). Mapungubwe
Hill is 300 m long, broad at one end, tapering at the other. It is only accessible by
, means of two very steep and narrow paths that twist their way to the summit, and
yet 2 000 tons of soil have been artificially transported to the very top by a
prehistoric people of unknown identity. Downloaded by Corona Virus ()
lOMoARcPSD| CUS3701 ASSESSMENT 03/2024 Archaeological enquiry
uncovered the remnants of numerous dwellings, which had been built on the ruins
of predecessors over many generations, resulting in a series of habitation phases.
Radiocarbon dates show that the first buildings were erected below the hill at the
beginning of the 11th century AD. But adjacent to Mapungubwe is the sister site of
Bambandyanalo, which was settled even earlier. It seems that the centre of the state
shifted from Bambandyanalo to Mapungubwe Hill in about 1045 AD, when the
town most probably became overcrowded. It was also at about this time that hills
and mountains became associated with royalty and the noble classes began to build
their structure on high ground. This is an important observation as it provided
evidence of the extensive wealth and social differentiation of the people of
Mapungubwe; in other words, this ancient civilization was class based. The gold
findings are also evidence of early gold smelting. A large number of artifacts from
the royal family were discovered at Mapungubwe. The best known of these objects
is the golden rhinoceros. All in all, the amount of gold from this burial amounted to
7 503 ounces. Greefswald farm remained the property of the State from the 1930s.
Management of the farm was taken over by the provincial Department of Nature
Conservation in 1992 and control was transferred to SANParks in 1999.
Mapungubwe was declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations
Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) in July 2003.
1.1 Write down the following:
• The grade you are going to teach this lesson to.
• The teaching strategy or strategies that you will use.
