عنوان

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF COPPER AND IRON PRODUCTION AT MAROTHODI, AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY TSWANA TOWN, RUSTENBURG DISTRICT, SOUTH AFRICA

Number

LA113657

.Language of Text, Soundtrack etc

انگلیسی

Title Proper

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF COPPER AND IRON PRODUCTION AT MAROTHODI, AN EARLY 19TH CENTURY TSWANA TOWN, RUSTENBURG DISTRICT, SOUTH AFRICA

General Material Designation

[Article]

First Statement of Responsibility

Simon Hall, Duncan Miller, Mark Anderson, et al.

Place of Publication, Distribution, etc.

Leiden

Name of Publisher, Distributor, etc.

Brill

Text of Note

The archaeological evidence for iron and especially copper production at Marothodi indicates that output far exceeded local requirements. Preliminary analyses of slag and metal provide insight into the technical processes of this production, while well-resolved spatial data comment upon the social and cultural organization of production. In this paper we attempt to integrate both technical and social aspects of production into the regional historic context with a view to developing ideas about the contextual specificity of surplus metal production from Marothodi early in the 19th century. Generally, Marothodi was occupied in a period of increasingly competitive economic and political relationships between lineages. The evidence from Marothodi indicates that although copper ore quality was poor, and had been largely mined out by previous producers, it was clearly worthwhile to produce a surplus because of regional demands. Importantly, the Tlokwa elites at Marothodi had the regional power to do so. Furthermore, although the location of Marothodi was a compromise between several factors, we suggest that proximity to the copper ore sources was important. Spatial data suggest that political authority did not physically centralize copper production, and that most home-steads were independent producers. The archaeological evidence for iron and especially copper production at Marothodi indicates that output far exceeded local requirements. Preliminary analyses of slag and metal provide insight into the technical processes of this production, while well-resolved spatial data comment upon the social and cultural organization of production. In this paper we attempt to integrate both technical and social aspects of production into the regional historic context with a view to developing ideas about the contextual specificity of surplus metal production from Marothodi early in the 19th century. Generally, Marothodi was occupied in a period of increasingly competitive economic and political relationships between lineages. The evidence from Marothodi indicates that although copper ore quality was poor, and had been largely mined out by previous producers, it was clearly worthwhile to produce a surplus because of regional demands. Importantly, the Tlokwa elites at Marothodi had the regional power to do so. Furthermore, although the location of Marothodi was a compromise between several factors, we suggest that proximity to the copper ore sources was important. Spatial data suggest that political authority did not physically centralize copper production, and that most home-steads were independent producers.

Date of Publication

2006

Physical description

3-35

Title

Journal of African Archaeology

Volume Number

4/1

International Standard Serial Number

2191-5784

Subject Term

copper

Subject Term

furnace

Subject Term

iron

Subject Term

mining

Subject Term

nickel

Subject Term

ore

Subject Term

refining

Subject Term

slag

Subject Term

smelting

Subject Term

tin

Subject Term

Tswana

Duncan Miller

Jan Boeyens

Mark Anderson

Simon Hall

Call Number

10.1163/10.3213/1612-1651-10061

Electronic name

p

[Article]

275578

a

Y