The organisation and layout of Zulu military homesteads (amakhanda)

The nineteenth century witnessed the spread and development of a number of northern Nguni kingdoms throughout southern Africa. Central to the success and stability of these kingdoms was the regimental system. A critical aspect of this system was the military settlements or amakhanda (singular ikhanda). These settlements provided housing to soldiers, but also acted as centres of royal authority. Due to the specific function and nature of these settlements, they had a settlement organisation and layout that differed from that of a family homestead (umuzi). This study identifies a number of differences that may enable archaeologists to distinguish between amakhanda and other settlements. An ikhanda was organised into four structural sections, each of which was used for very specific purposes: the central enclosure; regimental housing; the great isigodlo; and the isigodlo. Amakhanda represent a fundamental change that had occurred among the northern Nguni, a change that ultimately resulted in the formation of the Zulu kingdom and the reshaping of the socio-political organisation of southern Africa

Ancient history · Archaeology · Business · Ethnology · Genealogy · Geography · Human settlement · Kingdom · Political science · Politics · Settlement (finance) · Zulu · Archaeology and Rock Art Studies · History · Law · Legal Issues in South Africa · South African History and Culture

• The provisioning of nineteenth century Zulu capitals, South Africa

  Open Access•Kent D Fowler, Panseok Yang et al.•Journal of Archaeological Science…•2020

  Añadir item

• A new interpretation of the military settlements of the northern Nguni

  Renier H Van Der Merwe, Kent D Fowler et al.•Azania Archaeological Research in…•2023

  Añadir item

• Reconnaissance survey of Zulu kingdom period amakhanda in the emaKhosini Basin, South Africa

  Kent D Fowler, Leonard O Van Schalkwyk•Azania Archaeological Research in…•2022

  Añadir item

• The amakhanda settlement system of the Zulu kingdom

  Kent D Fowler, Leonard O Van Schalkwyk•Azania Archaeological Research in…•2025

  Añadir item

• Rediscovering the Ndwandwe kingdom

  John Wright•Five Hundred Years Rediscovered•2018

  Añadir item

• Natal and Zululand from earliest times to 1910

  Open Access•Lucille Heydenrych•New Contree•2024

  Añadir item

• Journal of the Rev. George Champion, American Missionary in Zululand 1835-1839

  Leslie Clement Duly, Alan R Booth et al.•African Historical Studies•1968

  Añadir item

• The Diary of Henry Francis Fynn

  A G, James Stuart et al.•The South African Archaeological…•1951

  Añadir item

• The Faunal Remains from Recent Excavations at uMgungundlovu

  Ina Plug, Frans Roodt•The South African Archaeological…•1990

  Añadir item

• Of Commoners and Kings

  Emma Watson, E J Watson et al.•The South African Archaeological…•1990

  Añadir item

• The Destruction of the Zulu Kingdom

  P S Thompson, Jeff Guy•The International Journal of…•1982

  Añadir item

• Alone among the Zulus

  Julie Parle, Catherine Barter et al.•The International Journal of…•1997

  Añadir item

• Zulu-English Dictionary

  Eugene A Nida, C M Doke et al.•Language•1949

  Añadir item

• The Zulu Aftermath

  Anthony Atmore, J D Omer-Cooper et al.•Man•1967

  Añadir item