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Monday, 2nd November 2009 (233 views)

A collection of Iron Age gold ornaments and jewellery "unrivalled in sub-Saharan Africa" has gone on display at the University of Pretoria's Mapungubwe Museum in South Africa.

Containing 460 painstakingly restored objects, including the only archaeological gold rhino figurine in the world, the 1,000-year-old treasure trove was originally recovered from a royal burial site on Mapungubwe Hill in 1933.

Mapungubwe was one of the first and most dominant empires to originate in southern Africa. It traded gold and other materials with Egypt, India, Arabia and China until its collapse in the 14th century.

Sian Tiley Nel, curator of the Mapungubwe Museum, said the carefully pieced together collection of relics reveal an "astonishing menagerie" of gold foil and sheet animals, gold beaded necklaces, bracelets and coiled anklets.

Commenting on the new exhibition, art and antiques expert Stephan Weltz said: "This collection includes some of the finest works of art ever produced in southern Africa."

Researchers from Mapungubwe Museum and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research had previously used fibres entwined in the gold objects to carbon date the treasures.

 

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