Mapungubwe · The Land of the Golden Hornbill

Mapungubwe was built on a sandstone plateau at the meeting of two rivers. It was the centre of the first class-based state in southern Africa, trading gold and ivory with the East African coast and the Middle East, and a thousand years ago it already had royal burials, gold work and a ritual area.

A wooden carving of a hornbill and bodies wrapped in gold foil were recovered from the royal graves. On the slopes were the dwellings of ordinary people, and below the hill was the trading area — the line between classes was written into the space itself.

The site is now open only on designated guided tours, and the oral stories of the hill are still told by local people.

Historical Mysteries / Limpopo · South Africa / 11th century