Massapa

Massapa was an important trading settlement in the country of the Mutapa, where African and Portuguese merchants met near the royal court. It was one of the inland markets, or feiras, through which goods moved between the Zimbabwean plateau and the Zambezi. Finds of imported porcelain and glass beads alongside local pottery reflect the diverse connections of the settlement.

As Portuguese merchants became established in the sixteenth century, they chose a representative known as the Captain of the Gates, whose appointment was confirmed by the Mutapa. He supervised the traders and acted as an intermediary at court. The ruler collected dues from foreign merchants, and access to trade depended on relations with his authority. After the Portuguese imposed a treaty on the Mutapa in 1629, their captain moved to the royal capital, and Massapa's importance diminished.