The ManicaPost
Liberty Dube and Lloyd Makonya
IMAGINE visiting a site and enjoying a picturesque view of the woods, distinct riverine vegetation, wild animal spoors and traditional methods of fish trapping as you listen to the various sweet bird melodies.
You are enjoying an unforgettable experience which combines archaeology, nature and contemporary beliefs and practices!
Welcome to Ziwa Monument!
Ziwa, in local language, means “know”.
The Ziwa National Monument, situated in Nyanga, bears evidence of human occupation and activity for all major periods identified in Zimbabwe’s archaeological sequence.
The 3 333 hectares estate comprises some stone age deposits, remnants of rock art and early farming communities’ settlements.
There are stone terracing, enclosures, hill forts, iron working furnaces, and numerous other relics of cultural importance and interest to the visitor.
The cultural landscape’s most outstanding features are those associated with the later farming communities dated to the 17th to 19th centuries AD.
Besides the cultural landscape, the estate has a rich natural environment containing diverse vegetation, wildlife and varied physical features that give a scenic background to the visitor.
Hunter-gatherer communities lived in the area at various periods until about 2 000 years ago.
Various types of stone tools, worked bone and some rock paintings at rock shelter sites on Ziwa Mountain bear testimony to the presence of hunting and gathering communities.
Great quantities of highly decorated and finely made pottery, burned bone, shell beads and copper objects associated with early farmers’ occupation period have been recovered on the foot of Ziwa Mountain.
This establishment has been dated to between the 4th and 11thcenturies AD.
The most famous are the later farming communities’ settlement structures, features and relics.
This later occupation, believed to have lasted for about three centuries from about the 17th century AD, totally transformed the landscape which is now entirely a cultural one because of the amazing extent of human influence, unparalleled elsewhere in the sub-region.
Barely a stone lies untouched because of the agricultural terracing, use of stone in almost every construction and any other activity, be it food processing, hunting, housing and iron smelting.
Ziwa is a site museum which acts as an interpretive centre of the archaeology of Ziwa and Nyanga in general as well as contemporary local cultures.
Carefully crafted trails guide the visitor through the maze of terraces around the monument, bringing to life the whole landscape as one navigates the maze.
The Ziwa estate is full of attractions, surprises and features.
The routes chosen almost without fail provide a new experience and reveal something unexpected in the form of ancient passages and pathways, sophisticated field systems, linteled entrances and tunnels, grinding places and rock chairs and gongs.
You are surely guaranteed of adventure at every turn.
On the boundary of the monument lies Nyangombe River which roars with its amazing rapids and riverine vegetation where one can take a cooling splash on a hot summer afternoon.
The trails around the monument offer an experience not to be missed.
One of the most interesting places within the estate is an open site called the Place of Offerings which is attributed to early farming communities.
Part of the Ziwa cultural landscape
The site lies immediately north of the point joining the mighty Ziwa Mountain to its smaller neighbour, Hamba.
In 1905, an archaeologist, Mr Randall-McIver found large quantities of figurines, burned animal bones and ash fragments of figurines at the site.
Thinking that this was a place where remains of feasts were put away, Mr McIver called the site Place of Offering.
A lot of valuable archaeological objects can be seen on the surface and in erosion gullies. Visitors are urged to be careful and avoid unlawful collection of these objects.
From the Place of Offerings you start the ascent onto Ziwa Mountain.
Getting to the apex of the Ziwa Mountain is an arduous but exhilarating experience.
The easier route is through the southern section of the mountain.
A more direct and strenuous route takes the northern approach.
Skirting along the slope, you will soon begin the climb to the summit.
The last stage is completed using a hiking ladder made of angled iron rods, riveted on the granite massif.
Once one conquers the strenuous climb, the view from the top is worth the effort and is stunningly beautiful.
Here, you can have a full view of the whole estate and the surrounding mountainous countryside.
Going down is not easy either, tired legs may not easily cope with the momentum of the steep descent.
The best way will be to head for the dirt road to the south of the mountain past Hamba Mountain and back to the site museum fully satisfied of your adventure.
If you still have enough energy in the tank, the alternative return route follows a footpath along the banks of Nyangombe River.
As you explore the river bank, you will be able to see the distinct riverine vegetation as you listen to the bird melodies.
One thing not to escape your eyes as you move along are the pieces of rock placed on V-shaped tree branches.
According to local folklore, when visiting far away, a person should place a stone on a tree branch so that their intended host stays put until the visitor’s arrival.
By so doing, one avoids fruitless long journeys.
This tradition is still practiced to this day.
The National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe continues to maintain Ziwa in its pristine condition and is making efforts to have Ziwa on the prestigious World Heritage Listing.
