Malumba

Malumba Hill stands among the Mateke hills in the Limpopo basin. Its stone walls and pottery place it among the early centres of the Zimbabwe tradition, alongside sites such as Mapela and Mapungubwe. The hill's sheltered caves, grain bins and traces of occupation tell of communities that made their homes in this dry country over many generations. The hill was occupied from about the eleventh to the fifteenth century, overlapping with the rise of larger centres elsewhere in the basin. Pottery of different traditions has been found here, and later Zimbabwe-style wares suggest a continuing history of settlement. The sheltered caves may also have offered refuge to communities living among the hills.