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    Decolonising the archaeology of indigenous artisanal gold mining in Eastern Zimbabwe


    Chipangura, Njabulo (2023) Decolonising the archaeology of indigenous artisanal gold mining in Eastern Zimbabwe. Journal of Community Archaeology & Heritage, 10 (3-4). pp. 215-232. ISSN 2051-8196

    Abstract

    In this paper, I will look at how I utilised archaeological ethnography as amethodology to study ancient and contemporary indigenous goldmining practices in Eastern Zimbabwe. Subsequently, I will present an archaeological field research that I undertook at Nyahokwe and Saungweme sites between 2016 and 2017 and move on to show how material culture recovered was collaboratively interpreted in conversations with contemporary indigenous gold miners. I argue that by using archaeological ethnography as a field methodology that privileges multivocality, this ultimately decolonised archaeology’s underlying politics which is protected by expert hegemonic discourses. During the field study at Nyahokwe and Saungweme sites artisanal miners popularly known as makorokozas revealed their localised understanding of crucibles and hammerstones that were recovered during both archaeological excavations and surface collections. Thus, used as decolonised methodology, archaeological ethnography allowed for multiple voices to be embraced in archaeological knowledge production.
    Item Type: Article
    Keywords: Archaeological ethnography; decolonisation; chains of operation; Eastern Zimbabwe; Indigenous artisanal mining; makorokoza; ancestors;
    Academic Unit: Faculty of Social Sciences > Anthropology
    Item ID: 21511
    Identification Number: 10.1080/20518196.2023.2289316
    Depositing User: Njabulo Chipangura
    Date Deposited: 07 May 2026 14:33
    Journal or Publication Title: Journal of Community Archaeology & Heritage
    Publisher: Taylor & Francis (Routledge)
    Refereed: Yes
    Related URLs:
    Use Licence: This item is available under a Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial Share Alike Licence (CC BY-NC-SA). Details of this licence are available here

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