Leopard's Kopje by is an archaeological site, the

type site In archaeology, a type site is the site used to define a particular archaeological culture or other typological unit, which is often named after it. For example, discoveries at La Tène and Hallstatt led scholars to divide the European Iron A ...

of the associated region or culture that marked the Middle Iron Age in

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 ...

. The ceramics from the Leopard's Kopje type site have been classified as part of phase II of the Leopard's Kopje culture. For information on the region of Leopard's Kopje, see the "Associated sites" section of this article.

Location

The site is located 2 kilometers north-east of the Khami World Heritage Site and 24 kilometers west of

Bulawayo Bulawayo (, ; Ndebele: ''Bulawayo'') is the second largest city in Zimbabwe, and the largest city in the country's Matabeleland region. The city's population is disputed; the 2022 census listed it at 665,940, while the Bulawayo City Council ...

, Zimbabwe. Bordered by small hills, or koppies, on two sides and sharp

ravines A ravine is a landform that is narrower than a canyon and is often the product of streambank erosion. The site is relatively small, measuring 150 by 200

yard The yard (symbol: yd) is an English unit of length in both the British imperial and US customary systems of measurement equalling 3 feet or 36 inches. Since 1959 it has been by international agreement standardized as exactly ...

s in area.

History

K. R. Robinson conducted several excavations in the area, beginning in 1961. Thomas Huffman, who first excavated Leopard's Kopje in August 1969, is also an important archaeologist of the site. Huffman's excavations found three different phases of occupation, Zhizo, Mambo, and Refuge.

Refuge phase

The occupation from the 18/19th centuries is called the Refuge phase. Because it was the latest phase of occupation at the Leopard's Kopje site, its stratigraphy is closest to the surface and was therefore excavated first. Below a thin

humus In classical soil science, humus is the dark organic matter in soil that is formed by the decomposition of plant and animal matter. It is a kind of soil organic matter. It is rich in nutrients and retains moisture in the soil. Humus is the Lati ...

layer was a large ashy layer, in which artifacts such as zebra teeth, freshwater mussel shells, and turtle shells were found. Pottery sherds were found in

midden A midden (also kitchen midden or shell heap) is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, mollusc shells, potsherds, lithics (especially debitage), and other artifacts and eco ...

s and among stone structures. At least one known burial was found at this level.

Mambo phase

In the original excavation by Huffman, several structures were found at the Mambo phase level, dating to the 10/11th centuries. Artifacts such as figurines and cattle teeth were discovered in multiple trenches. Evidence of an infant burial was also found. Several hut floors and plastered courtyards were uncovered, giving archaeologists a sense of the layout of the settlement.

Zhizo phase

The

stratigraphy Stratigraphy is a branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers ( strata) and layering (stratification). It is primarily used in the study of sedimentary and layered volcanic rocks. Stratigraphy has three related subfields: lithost ...

shows that the earliest settlement is from the 9th century AD, now called the Zhizo phase. Possible traces of manure indicate that people kept goats or sheep. Along with large amounts of Zhizo pottery, artifacts such as glass and shell beads, copper

bangle Bangles are traditionally rigid bracelets which are usually made of metal, wood, glass or plastic. These ornament are worn mostly by women in the Indian subcontinent, Southeastern Asia, Arabian Peninsula, and Africa. It is common to see a brid ...

s, daga rubble, and iron

slag Slag is a by-product of smelting ( pyrometallurgical) ores and used metals. Broadly, it can be classified as ferrous (by-products of processing iron and steel), ferroalloy (by-product of ferroalloy production) or non-ferrous/base metals (by-p ...

were excavated by Huffman and his team. "Zhizo" is also a term used for the cultural phase that preceded the Leopard's Kopje cultural phase.

Archaeological characteristics

Cattle

There is strong archaeological evidence that people at Leopard's Kopje kept cattle. Vitrified and angular blocks of dung mark the perimeters of medieval cattle byres. These

kraal Kraal (also spelled ''craal'' or ''kraul'') is an Afrikaans and Dutch word, also used in South African English, for an enclosure for cattle or other livestock, located within a Southern African settlement or village surrounded by a fence of t ...

s were located at the center of villages, rather than to the edge of a settlement, meaning cattle would have been a central and important part of daily life. Huffman discovered a large white zone in the stratigraphy of the Mambo phase level that is believed to be cattle manure. Cattle teeth have also been excavated. The introduction of larger cattle herds at Leopard's Kopje around the 10th century are seen as evidence of increased cultural complexity. This is thought to have resulted from a developing gold trade. Finger millet 3 11-21-02

Diet

Archaeobotanical evidence offers insight into the diet of the occupants at Leopard's Kopje. In 1969, Huffman and his team found seeds from finger millet, ground beans, sorghum, cowpeas, and wild plants at the Mambo phase level. The Leopard's Kopje diet would also have consisted of the livestock they kept, including cattle, goat, and sheep.

Beads

Huffman's excavations found glass and shell beads at the Zhizo phase level, dating back to the 9th century. Some clay beads were also discovered at the Mambo phase level. Robinson's 1961 excavation found just two glass beads. Both were cylindrical and blue-green in color, typical of phase II of the Leopard's Kopje culture.

Iron smelting

Strong evidence of iron

smelting Smelting is a process of applying heat to ore, to extract a base metal. It is a form of extractive metallurgy. It is used to extract many metals from their ores, including silver, iron, copper, and other base metals. Smelting uses heat and a c ...

has been found at the Mambo phase level, and bits of iron slag have been found at the Zhizo phase level, suggesting that iron smelting existed at Leopard's Kopje as early as the 9th century.

Pottery

Excavations of Leopard's Kopje have primarily focused on ceramic analysis. The middle Iron Age brought about a shift from communal ownership of pottery to private ownership. Leopard's Kopje ceramic style is known for being multidimensional, with incised and excised bands. Shallow bowls and plates, jars with triangles, and beakers with high burnished necks are also typical. In Robinson's 1961 excavation alone, 182 pottery fragments were uncovered. The most common vessel found was a shouldered pot with a concave neck and either an incised ladder pattern or a chevron pattern. These motifs were created with incisions or stabs, rather than comb-stamping. Few of the burnished beakers and bowls found were decorated.

Stone buildings

Settlements throughout the larger Leopard's Kopje region feature stone buildings. The prevalence of these stone structures is the inspiration behind the name "Zimbabwe," which means "houses of stone." Evidence of stone buildings were found by Huffman at the Refuge phase level. The evolution from earthen houses to stone buildings is an indication of social changes, much like the introduction of larger cattle herds.

Associated sites

The area associated with the Leopard’s Kopje region stretches from just south of Belingwe,

, down to the Limpopo River. Archaeological sites in the region date to between 950-1100 AD. The six type sites that have been selected as most representative of the Leopard's Kopje culture are Zhizo Hill, York Ranch, Leopard's Kopje, Taba Zikamambo, Woolandale Estate Midden Mounds, and Enyandeni Farm. Other notable associated sites include Mapela Hill(South western Zimbabwe), K2(located in Vhembe District Municipality), Khami, Mapungubwe, and

Bambandyanalo Bambandyanalo is an archaeological site in present-day Zimbabwe, just north of the Limpopo River. It flourished from the 11th to 13th centuries, being a predecessor to the Great Zimbabwe culture. The ruins have survived because much of the comple ...

Notes

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References

Archaeological sites in Zimbabwe Archaeological sites of Eastern Africa