A STUDY OF ARCHAEOLOGICAL CHARCOAL FROM GREAT ZIMBABWE

In most of Africa, archaeological charcoal samples are often used to establish chronology through radiocarbon dating, but are rarely used to address why people may have selected specific wood taxa for particular purposes. The use of charcoal in palaeo-ethnobotanical and palaeoecological studies has been given little attention, but it can be used for vegetation studies and use of woods for purposes such as iron smelting, construction and domestic hearths. Previous excavations at Great Zimbabwe produced large samples of charcoal at specific activity sites and at different depths, thus giving perspective of time. This study is an enquiry into charcoal assemblages dated to the Late Holocene from the Great Zimbabwe. An extensive modern vegetation reference collection of charcoal from Great Zimbabwe was established and then used in the identification of archaeological charcoal samples. The analysis has provided a more detailed picture than previously available, of socio-economic utilisation of wood at Great Zimbabwe. Anthracology has enhanced our knowledge of woody vegetation selection during the ancient Great Zimbabwe. From this study it was concluded that there was long-distance movement of wood particularly from those taxa with good construction qualities such as Spirostachys africana and Colophospermum mopane.