Nyanga: Ancient Fields, Settlements and Agricultural History in Zimbabwe

Book Description
The stone ruins of the Nyanga area of eastern Zimbabwe have intrigued observers since they were first reported to the outside world at the end of the 19th century. The early fanciful speculations about their meaning have been gradually tempered over the years by the findings of systematic archaeological research, culminating in the project recently completed by the British Institute in Eastern Africa and the University of Zimbabwe. The first stages of the Nyanga complex were established between the 13th and 14th centuries AD, on some of the highest peaks of the region. Subsequent stages saw a gradual expansion downhill, with the construction of multiple stone terraces, cattle pens, and settlements. In this book, Robert Soper and his colleagues set out the accumulated historical and archaeological evidence for the Nyanga complex. Overall, the Nyanga sequence raises obvious questions about environmental changes and climatic fluctuations during the last millennium. More particularly, the various stages begin to reveal how the local farming community grappled with these changes, including those induced by its own intensive use of the landscape and its resources.


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Nyanga, in the hills of eastern Zimbabwe, is one of the few places in Africa where ancient agricultural fields have been preserved to allow the archaeological study of the fields themselves, the cultivation techniques, and farming strategies. Soper (history, U. of Zimbabwe) directed a research project there that was recently completed, and reports his findings in the context of reconstructing the history of African agriculture. Technical details are confined to a second section to be accessible to specialists without interrupting the flow of the narrative in the first section. Distributed in the US by David Brown Book Company. Annotation (c)2003 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR


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