Skeleton discovered at Ing’ombe Ilede

DOREEN NAWA, Chirundu
FOR many, Ing’ombe Ilede is synonymous with a trading Centre.
But for archaeologists Ing’ombe Ilede was more than a trading site. They believe people actually lived there.
Their conviction stems from evidence first discovered in 1960 by government workers who were constructing water tanks in Lusitu area in Chirundu district.
The items included gold, copper ore, textiles, pottery and other ceramics.
In their quest to find more evidence to prove Ing’ombe Ilede was more than a trading site, a team of archaeologists from National Heritage Conservation Commission (NHCC) spent two weeks on a fact finding mission excavating for any human remains.
At the end of the two weeks, a skeleton of a woman in her early 30s was found. The skeleton was found with beads around the neck and metal bracelet signifying that the woman was rich. She is believed to have lived between the periods 700 to 1100AD.
“This discovery is a milestone, what has been known is that this was a trading site and that some people once lived here, but there was no evidence to back the claims. I am excited to see such a discovery which has added value and will change the face of the Ing’ombe Ilede site.
“Immediately I was told of the discovery, what came to mind is that the discovery will not find itself to England like the broken hill man,” NHCC Board chairperson Margaret Machila said.
She said people without history and people that do not understand their own history are not complete hence the need for proper sensitization so that people around Ing’ombe Illede begin to see themselves linked to the history discovered at the site.
She said traditionally, Tonga’s bury their loved ones closer to their homes and the discovery of the skeleton has revealed a significant attachment that the site has to its inhabitants.
Ms Machila hopes that the skeleton will be protected and left on site to give a proper meaning and interpretation of Ing’ombe Ilede.
In burial sites dating from the periods 700 to 1100AD, occasional ‘foreign’ objects like the odd cowrie shell, or copper bangles in an area where there is no copper were found.
This indicates that some small-scale barter with neighbouring villages took place at the Ing’ombe Illede site.
“The pace and extent of trade increased significantly at the site. Gold objects appear (as well as the more common copper, iron and ivory) and shells from the Indian Ocean,” NHCC Northern regional director Billiard Lishiko said.
Mr Lishiko, who was also a lead personnel in the discovery said the frequency of objects on the site indicates that trade was gradually developing.
“We know from European historical sources that Muslim traders [of Arab origin] had trade routes established here. There is evidence that during that period, inhabitants here traded with people further south, in Zimbabwe, exporting gold down the Zambezi via traders coming from the Indian Ocean,” Mr Lishiko said.
And NHCC public relations manager said the discovery is a milestone in Zambia’s history and has added value to the Ing’ombe Ilede historical site.
“What makes the discovery important is that it has been done by Zambian archaeologists all working under NHCC. Many people interpret Ing’ombe Ilede only as a ‘sleeping cow’ but the site has proved that it has a lot to offer to both local and international tourists,” Mr Kanguya said.
The skeleton was found in a squatting position, a posture the dead were buried in at that time.
During the excavation, two burial grounds were discovered, one containing a skeleton buried with copper ornaments, bracelets and beads and the other only containing a skeleton.
He said the existence of the two different graves proves that social stratification existed at that time at the site.
The Ing’ombe Ilede site is thought to have been a small commercial state or principality whose chief item of trade was salt.
Items of trade believed to have been common at Ing’ombe Illede site also include textile, copper ore, ceramics and gold.
Ing’ombe Illede is an archaeological site on a hill near the confluence of the Zambezi and Lusitu rivers close to the Kariba Dam.
Mr Kanguya said the site was uncovered in 1960 by government workers who were digging foundations for water tanks and it was excavated by JH Chaplin in the same year.
As trade started, the second millennium also saw the development of wealth and social structures within the tribes.
The evidence for this is a number of burial sites that stand out for the quantity and quality of the goods that were buried with a dead person.
It is hoped that with the discovery, the site will now generate the needed curiosity and attract many to visit. PUBLISHED IN THE ZAMBIA DAILY MAIL ON JULY 31, 2016