Exploitation and Management of Animal Resources During the Middle Iron Age: Northern Limpopo Province, South Africa

This research aims to reconstruct the dynamics of exploitation and management of animal resources during the Middle Iron Age in the northern part of the Limpopo region (South Africa). The book offers an interpretation of faunal remains from two sites: Mapungubwe, an important regional centre during the 13th century AD, and Mutamba, a small agro-pastoral settlement contemporary to the period of maximum hegemony of the capital and located at the southernmost limit of Mapungubwe influence. Some of the fauna from earlier excavations at Mapungubwe has been published previously, but this volume considers new material and re-examines earlier findings. In addition to the zooarchaeological analysis, ethnozooarchaeological research has been carried out in a Venda village. Furthermore, the published data concerning the Mapungubwe area of influence have been collected. The book includes a summary chapter in Italian.