Pots and marriage : an archaeometric analysis of sherds from Mgoduyanuka, a late iron age site in Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

This project tests the hypothesis, driven by Zulu ethnography, that red-coloured sherds from the Late Iron Age site of Mgoduyanuka in KwaZulu-Natal come from pots that were brought into the homestead through marriage alliances. In contrast, black-coloured and plain sherds come from pots that were locally made. To test this hypothesis, three archaeometric techniques were employed: portable XRF, conventional XRF and XRD. To understand the social origins of coloured vessels, ethnographic interviews were conducted. XRF and XRD results showed that there is no difference between the clay fabrics of the sherds. However, the results of portable XRF showed that there is a significant difference between the fabrics of the red-coloured sherds and the plain sherds. The fabric of the black-coloured sherds is spread between the redcoloured and the plain sherds, suggesting that some black pots would have been brought into the homestead.

Hierdie projek het die hipotese, gebaseer op Zulu-etnografie, dat rooigekleurde potskerwe van die Laat Ystertydperkterrein Mgoduyanuka in KwaZulu-Natal afkomstig is van potte wat in die woonkompleks ingebring is deur huweliksalliansies, getoets. In teenstelling hiermee is swartgekleurde en gewone (ongekleurde) potskerwe afkomstig van plaaslik vervaardigde potte. Om hierdie hipotese te toets is drie argeometriese tegnieke gebruik: draagbare XRF, konvensionele XRF en XRD. Om die sosiale oorsprong van gekleurde potte te verstaan is etnografiese onderhoude gevoer. XRF- en XRD resultate het getoon dat daar geen verskille is tussen die materiaal van die potskerwe nie. Die resultate van die draagbare XRF het egter ’n beduidende verskil getoon tussen die materiaal van die rooigekleurde en gewone potskerwe. Die materiaal van die swartgekleurde potskerwe is versprei tussen die rooigekleurde en gewone potskerwe, wat suggereer dat sommige swart potte in die woonkompleks ingebring is.

Le phrojekthi beyihlola ngenkolelomboni, ngokokulandisa kwesizwe samaZulu, ngokuthi izingcezu-zebhodwe ezinombala obomvu ezisendaweni yaseMgoduyanuka iLate Iron Age KwaZulu-Natali zaphuma ezimbizeni ezazifika ngesikhathi kuganiselwana. Umehluko ukuthi, izingcezu-zebhodwe ezinombala omnyama futhi ezingahlobile ngezalezo zimbiza noma lawo mabhodwe enziwe endaweni. Ukuze kuhlolwe le nkolelombono, kuye kwasetshenziswa izindlela ezintathu zokuhlola ubudala balezi zimbiza: nokuyiXRF ephathekayo, yiXRF ejwayelekile kanye neXRD. Ukuze siqonde imvelaphi yezitsha ezinemibala, kuye kwabanjwa izinkulumongxoxo ngokulandela incazelo yabanolwazi. Imiphumela yeXRF neXRD ibonise ukuthi awukho umehluko okhona phakathi kokwakheka kwelezi zindengezi. Kodwa-ke, imiphumela yeXRF ephathekayo ibonise umehluko omkhulu phakathi kokwakheka izingcezu-zebhodwe ezinemibala ebomvu kanye nalezo ezingahlobile. Ukwakheka izingcezuzebhodwe ezinombala omnyama kuvela kuzo zombili izingcezu- zebhodwe ezinombala obomvu kanye nalezo ezingahlobile, okusho ukuthi ezinye izimbiza kwakungezokufika emakhaya.