Premium
The Production, Distribution and Consumption of Metals and Alloys at Great Zimbabwe
Author(s) -
Bandama F.,
Moffett A. J.,
Thondhlana T. P.,
Chirikure S.
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
archaeometry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.716
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1475-4754
pISSN - 0003-813X
DOI - 10.1111/arcm.12248
Subject(s) - craft , consumption (sociology) , production (economics) , distribution (mathematics) , archaeology , geography , economics , sociology , social science , mathematical analysis , mathematics , macroeconomics
The legacy of vandalism and almost a century of continuous focus on drystone wall masonry is that little is known about metal craft production and consumption activities at Great Zimbabwe. Within these limitations, this paper attempts to explore the metallurgy of Great Zimbabwe, guided by the framework of archival, chronological and fieldwork‐ and laboratory‐based studies. The paper contends that residents of various components of Great Zimbabwe worked and processed their own metal, pointing to homestead‐level production and consumption. Metal from local and regional sources sustained long‐distance trade with the Indian Ocean rim.