Thulamela:

Thulamela is a Venda word, meaning 'place of birth'. The site consists of stone ruins of the royal citadel and dates back to between the 15th and 17th centuries. According to oral histories, the Nyai division of the Shona–speaking Lembethu occupied Thulamela and believed that there was a mystical relationship between their leader and the land. They believed that the ancestors of the leader (or Khosi) would intercede on behalf of the nation. The Khosi, who was an elusive figure and could only be visited by certain individuals, lived in a secluded hilltop palace in view of the commoners as an indication of his sacredness.

The Khosi had a number of officials working for him. Some of the most important included:

• The messenger – a close and trusted confidant who kept the chief informed of all court proceedings and visitors;
• Personal diviner and herbalist – safeguarded the Chief’s health and screened visitors;
• Makhadzi (ritual sister) – the chief ruled together with her. Her function was that of national advisor. She had to be kept informed of all decisions taken by the council. She was also instrumental in the appointment of a new chief; and
• Khotsimunene (brother) – legal expert in charge of the public court.

If a commoner wished to meet the Khosi he would go to a special chamber with two entrances - one from the Khosi’s hut which he would use and the other for the visitor. The chamber was divided probably by a central wall separating the visitor from the Khosi and so emphasising the Khosi’s sacredness.

Both Thulamela and Great Zimbabwe were thriving commercial cities. Commercial traders transported their goods on the Shashe and Limpopo Rivers. These waterways connected the Shona with African east coast commercial trading centres, which networked into the markets of India and China. The Shona people built hundreds of cities of stone, crowded with three story apartment complexes, housing tens of thousands of people.

Architecture emphasised curves. The round homes would nestle against the rounded outer walls in a perfect fit. In this manner, not a precious square inch of area would be lost. The walls were built from stones taken from nearby hills. Great rocks were cut using torches and then chiselled into blocks. Building blocks fitted so perfectly that mortar was not needed to hold the walls in place. The Shona used curved walls inside the city to section off living areas.

Great Zimbabwe contained 18000 people. Royalty lived within the city walls, farmers and workers lived outside. A Shona home would be thirty feet across, a two to three story building, with thick walls coloured in red. Homes were packed together so they touched one another. At night, the cooking fires would create smog over the city that could be seen for miles.

One thousand years ago, Mapungubwe was the centre of the largest kingdom in the subcontinent, where a highly sophisticated people traded gold and ivory with China, India and Egypt. The Iron Age site, discovered in 1932 but hidden from public attention until only recently, has been declared a World Heritage Site by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco). Mapungubwe (meaning ‘hill of the jackal’) first attracted attention in modern times when gold beads, bangles, bowls and figurines were discovered on the summit. Since then Mapungubwe has been excavated. Once again there is evidence of an extensive African farming society, based on cattle keeping with agriculture,. in this case with trade playing an increasingly important role.