Implications of new AMS dates for the Khami Period in the Mapungubwe Landscape

New radiocarbon dates from Khami Ruins National Monument reveal that the interaction between Sotho (Icon) and Kalanga (Khami) peoples over approximately 200 years played a pivotal role in the emergence of Venda as a distinct language and cultural entity. The study, using Accelerator Mass Spectrometry (AMS) dating, identified two pulses of occupation: Pulse 1 (AD 1400–1480) with eight sites and Pulse 2 (AD 1520–1590) with eight components or sites. While Kalanga people occupied fertile agricultural land near the Limpopo floodplains, Sotho peoples inhabited the southern plateau, leading to an unequal but significant resource-sharing dynamic. Initiation schools on ethnic boundaries facilitated cultural exchange, contributing to the formation of Venda's linguistic and macro-cultural identity.

Huffman, T. N., & Woodborne, S. (2021). Implications of new AMS dates for the Khami Period in the Mapungubwe Landscape. South African Journal of Science, 117(7/8). https://doi.org/10.17159/sajs.2021/9438