Architectural traditions of Mapungubwe and Bambandyanalo (K2)

Research identifies and reconstructs culturally significant architectural structures from the 11th to 13th centuries AD at Mapungubwe and K2, two former African capitals within South Africa's Mapungubwe Cultural Landscape World Heritage Site. Key findings include single stonewalls, terraces with steps, platforms, mortar blocks, circular stone structures, game-hollows in rock surfaces, and pole-and-daub granaries or veranda-like structures, alongside evidence of palisades and stockade kraals. The study leverages original archaeological field reports from the University of Pretoria's Mapungubwe Archive to inform architectural reconstruction and educational displays at the Mapungubwe Museum. A transdisciplinary approach is proposed for further research to explain the cultural significance of these structures, building on decades of archaeological work since 1933.

Meyer, A., & Cloete, C. (2010). Architectural traditions of Mapungubwe and Bambandyanalo (K2). The Journal for Transdisciplinary Research in Southern Africa, 6(1). https://doi.org/10.4102/td.v6i1.115