Bumbusi is a

Zimbabwe Zimbabwe (), officially the Republic of Zimbabwe, is a landlocked country located in Southeast Africa, between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, bordered by South Africa to the south, Botswana to the south-west, Zambia to the north, and Mozam ...

archaeological site An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...

, surrounded by

Hwange National Park Hwange National Park (formerly Wankie Game Reserve) is the largest natural reserve in Zimbabwe. It is around 14,600 sq km in area. It lies in the northwest of the country, just off the main road between Bulawayo and Victoria Falls. The nearest ...

, in Western Zimbabwe. It is not often visited because of its remote location and low tourist profile. The remains on the site resemble those of other archaeological sites in the

Great Zimbabwe Great Zimbabwe is a medieval city in the south-eastern hills of Zimbabwe near Lake Mutirikwi and the town of Masvingo. It is thought to have been the capital of a great kingdom during the country's Late Iron Age about which little is known. Con ...

tradition. The Bumbusi National Monument consists of colossal stone walls, boulders, platforms and the ruins of dwellings. Its main structures date from the eighteenth and nineteenth century. Excavations in 2000 revealed the floors of eighteen original dwellings. The site was declared a National Monument in 1946. In 2008 it was listed in the World Monuments Watch List of 100 of Most Endangered Sites by the

World Monuments Fund World Monuments Fund (WMF) is a private, international, non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of historic architecture and cultural heritage sites around the world through fieldwork, advocacy, grantmaking, education, and traini ...

because of the threats posed to the sandstone walls by wild animals from the surrounding nature reserve.

Description

Geography

The Bumbusi National Monument spans across the Sinamatella area and the Robins Camp area, two of the main inhabitable zones within the national park. (Africa Geographic, 2020) The geography of this area is considered semi-arid, with seasonal rain dictating when rivers run and flora recovers. This seasonal rain supports a significant population of both elephants and lions, indicating that in the past these geographical features would have been important to the conditions that allowed communities and clans to construct and inhabit Bumbusi National Monument. It is likely the site was named after the river that spans approximately 9.6kms through the valley where the monument sits at the crest. The monument was built on an elevated site atop large sandstone outcrops, referred to as kopjes in continental africa. In the process of leveling the kopjes the sandstone was recycled and used in the construction of the walls.

References

Archaeological sites in Zimbabwe Former populated places in Zimbabwe Buildings and structures in Matabeleland North Province Archaeological sites of Eastern Africa {{Africa-archaeology-stub