Preliminary Report on Excavation at Kamukombe, A Farming Community Village Site in the Mid-Zambezi Valley, Northern Zimbabwe

Abstract

The paper presents the results of archaeological excavations at the multi-component village site of Kamukombe in the mid- Zambezi valley in northern Zimbabwe. The excavation aimed at among other things recovering data that would contribute toward our understanding of the transition from the Early Farming Communities (Early Iron Age) to Later Farming Communities (Late Iron Age). Pottery on the surface indicates the presence of both communities at the site. Three trenches and two Test pits were excavated. Two of the trenches produced sherds that combine motifs and vessel shape of both periods, suggesting that the transition was most probably a result of local developments without involving displacement as previously thought. Aspects of economic organization, crafts and indications of external contacts also suggest continuity.