Shell disc beads and the development of class-based society at the K2-Mapungubwe settlement complex (South Africa)

Abstract

The K2-Mapungubwe settlement complex is widely regarded as the centre for the development of class-based society out of earlier ranked communities between c. AD 900 – AD 1300 in northern south Africa, southern Zimbabwe and eastern Botswana. Beads made from ostrich eggs, and the shells of Achatinidae snails, and freshwater bivalves, formed an important part of the K2-Mapungubwe economy. Although thousands of shell beads have been excavated at the K2-Mapugubwe complex, this assemblage have never been analysed or even quantified in any meaningful manner. As such, only rough estimates of the distribution, use and meaning of shell beads at these important sites. This article represents the first focussed research effort on this assemblage. The results demonstrate distinct spatial and chronological changes in the shell bead assemblage were discerned. Chronologically, Achatina beads are more common earlier in earlier phases but after AD 1220, ostrich eggshell beads dominate all assemblages. This could indicate access to new sources of raw materials. Morphology of beads assemblages are also linked to distinct social scales of consumption. The shell bead assemblage from higher status areas remained constant over time, with a clear preference for smaller sized beads. In contrast, beads from the lower status areas could be grouped into distinct clusters of larger and smaller beads. The grouping of smaller bead on lower status areas closely resemble elite assemblages. Smaller beads however become proportionally rarer outside elite areas over time. This may reflect changes in elite control and preferential access to shell beads. These results demonstrate how the use and manufacture of shell beads intersected with the socio-political changes that characterise the period. It also highlights the need for careful consideration of shell beads as a significant component of the political economy in the southern African Iron Age.

Shell disc beads and the development of class-based society at the K2-Mapungubwe settlement complex (South Africa)

“…The excavation methods and contextual information for these units were retrieved from Jones (1937), Eloff (1978Eloff ( , 1979bEloff ( , 1980, and Meyer (1994Meyer ( , 1998Meyer and Cloete 2010). Detailed layer and square descriptions of the sample are reported in Mouton (2021).…”

“…Author contribution MM analysed the shell bead sample for her unpublished MA dissertation research, developed and applied the methods for shell bead analysis used here, and reconstructed the archaeological context for the data sets (Mouton 2021). AA conducted a statistical investigation of the data and was the major contributor to the discussion and conclusion sections.…”