Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe

Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe
Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe
	Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe
Material	Gold
Created	Kingdom of Mapungubwe (1075–1220)
Discovered	1932; Kingdom of Mapungubwe (in Mapungubwe National Park, Limpopo, South Africa)
Present location	Mapungubwe Collection, University of Pretoria Museums

The golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe is a medieval artifact, made from wood which is covered in thin sheets of gold, from the medieval Kingdom of Mapungubwe, which is located in modern-day South Africa. It was found on a royal grave on Mapungubwe Hill in 1932^[1]^[2]^[3] by archaeologists from the University of Pretoria. The artifact is described as being "small enough to stand in the palm of your hand."^[4]^[5]

From 26 October 2016 to 27 February 2017 it was on display at the British Museum as part of an exhibition celebrating the art of South Africa. ^[6]

The site reveals the existence of a ruling elite, living separately in a hilltop settlement. This is the first known example of a class-based society in southern Africa. This artifact shows the Mapungubwe as a wealthy trading centre.^[7]

References[edit]

^ Steyn, Maryna (1 December 2007). "The Mapungubwe Gold Graves Revisited". The South African Archaeological Bulletin. 62 (186): 140–146. JSTOR 20474969.
^ Gardner, Guy A. (1937). Mapungubwe, Ancient Bantu Civilization on the Limpopo: Reports on excavations at Mapungubwe (Northern Transvaal) from February 1933 to June 1935, edited by Leo Fouché. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
^ Duffey, Alex (2012). "Mapungubwe: Interpretation of the Gold Content of the Original Gold Burial M1, A620". Journal of African Archaeology. 10 (2): 175–187. doi:10.3213/2191-5784-10223. hdl:2263/42472.
^ Smith, David (17 August 2015). "British Museum may seek loan of the golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
^ York, Geoffrey (10 February 2012). "The return of the Golden Rhino". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 13 August 2016.
^ "South Africa -- the art of a nation". The British Museum. The British Museum. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
^ Nelson, Jo (2015). Historium. China: Big Pictures Press. p. 10.

External links[edit]

Objects by Gold rhinoceros figurine, at SAHRA

[1] Steyn, Maryna (1 December 2007). "The Mapungubwe Gold Graves Revisited". The South African Archaeological Bulletin. 62 (186): 140–146. JSTOR 20474969.

[2] Gardner, Guy A. (1937). Mapungubwe, Ancient Bantu Civilization on the Limpopo: Reports on excavations at Mapungubwe (Northern Transvaal) from February 1933 to June 1935, edited by Leo Fouché. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

[3] Duffey, Alex (2012). "Mapungubwe: Interpretation of the Gold Content of the Original Gold Burial M1, A620". Journal of African Archaeology. 10 (2): 175–187. doi:10.3213/2191-5784-10223. hdl:2263/42472.

[4] Smith, David (17 August 2015). "British Museum may seek loan of the golden rhinoceros of Mapungubwe". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 13 August 2016.

[5] York, Geoffrey (10 February 2012). "The return of the Golden Rhino". The Globe and Mail. The Globe and Mail Inc. Retrieved 13 August 2016.

[6] "South Africa -- the art of a nation". The British Museum. The British Museum. Retrieved 9 January 2018.

[7] Nelson, Jo (2015). Historium. China: Big Pictures Press. p. 10.

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Golden Rhinoceros of Mapungubwe

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References[edit]

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