Mankhamba

Mankhamba was an important settlement of the Maravi, whose descendants include the Chewa. Archaeological finds reveal a community supported by hunting, herding and the resources of nearby waters. Cattle, sheep and goats were kept alongside the pursuit of wild game, while turtle remains show the use of lakeside resources. Objects brought from distant places, including marine shells and imported pottery, testify to connections that reached well beyond the interior.

The settlement flourished in the seventeenth century as a political and commercial centre of the Maravi state. Ivory was among the goods that linked it to long-distance trade. Excavated animal remains and imported objects complement oral traditions and early written accounts of the Maravi, revealing a prosperous community whose influence rested in part on exchange.