Excavations at Bosbokpoort (MNR 259)

The site Bosbokpoort (MNR 259) (22° 29' 57.12" S, 30° 14' 14.82" E) is an open-air Mapungubwe period site located in Maremani Nature reserve on the border of Zimbabwe, east of Musina, in the Limpopo Province of South Africa (Lippert 2019: 6).

The site is a Middle Iron Age site dating from AD 900 to 1300. There is a low-density ceramic scatter throughout the site, along with a few glass and shell disc beads. Various grain bin foundations are identified, along with two middens and a kraal. Lower and upper grinding stones were also identified as part of the surface scatter. There was evidence of slag that indicated metal working activities as well as a few broken spindle whorls that formed part of the surface scatter.
Evidence of grain bin foundations and middens, suggest the presence of smaller households that were occupied within the region. Analyzing the material culture of these smaller settlements will give insight into the economic activities that took place at Bosbokpoort (MNR 259). It will also allow investigation into the broader research of the relationship between the heartland and hinterland during the Middle Iron Age.