Archaeology, baobabs and drought: Cultural proxies and environmental data from the Mapungubwe landscape, southern Africa

A 1000-year-long drought record from baobab trees refines the sequence of severe droughts documented in archaeological deposits at Mapungubwe, southern Africa. The study reveals that cultural practices—such as rainmaking rituals and burnt grain bins in villages—were responses to drought rather than violence or natural causes. While the early 14th-century drought coincided with the abandonment of Mapungubwe, this event was influenced by both environmental pressures and cultural factors. The research integrates ethnographic data, archaeological evidence, and carbon isotope analysis from baobab trees to reconstruct past climate-land-use interactions.

Huffman, T. N., & Woodborne, S. (2015). Archaeology, baobabs and drought: Cultural proxies and environmental data from the Mapungubwe landscape, southern Africa. The Holocene, 26(3), 464–470. https://doi.org/10.1177/0959683615609753