LATE STONE AGE TO EARLY IRON AGE –EARLY SOCIETIES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA

INTRODUCTION

Would you like to join me as l unfold the early societies in Southern Africa a subject of importance . During my high school days history was one of my favourite subject.l did Southern African history and European history from form 1 -4 then l also studied it at advanced level and specialized mainly with Western and European history. I want us to explore societies in the early lron Age and the late stone age societies. They is some connection that l feel when studying this topic. The way of life this people lived l have experienced it in some way. Growing up in an African home l had an opportunity of living in a countryside (village) were some of the late stone age and early iron age activities are done on a daily basis.
LATE STONE AGE

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This happened 7000-1500 years ago.This people used tools called the microlithic.Microlithic means small and refined tools made up of stones. The tools were smaller ,finer and sharper .This stone tools could be used for cutting ,scraping and digging. This people were industrious, if you come to think of it a stone being used for digging seems to be impossible but late stone age people were very technical in making things happen.

Economic Activities
In the late stone age society they lived mainly by hunting and gathering .Women were gathers and man were hunters.l had an experience of gathering fruits in the village at some point.l come from Chihota,that’s were my roots are.We used to go and herd cattles and in the process we would get hungry and the only option we had was to gather some fruits around since we will be in the bush and away from home.The Late lron Age people gathered edible fruits ,berries,fruits,ants,locusts etc.Man also hunt up to now in Zimbabwe .They used bow and arrows to hunt as well as bone headed tools. They also used pit traps and disguises like the head and horns of antelope and the plumage of the ostrich to get close to the animals.

Late stone age people also practiced pottery making. In Zimbabwe in the rural areas pottery making is still practiced and some use clay pots for cooking and for decoration purposes.Food that is cooked from clay pots taste better than our normal fancy pots trust me have tasted and its really different. Clay pots are also used to store fresh milk in the process of turning it into sour milk. Pastoralism also started in some Northern parts of Africa .Seasonal temporary settlements were also made necessary for the search of game and reliable source of water.

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EARLY IRON AGE

Early lron Age replaced the late stone age.The early iron age people made their tools using iron and wood.lron was easy to use in making tools compared to stone in the sense that it was easy to mold as compared to stone and produced more efficient tools like axes,knives,hoes and weapons like swords,spears and arrows.
The introduction of iron in the early iron age brought in a lot of changes, econically, socially and politically

Economic effects

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• The early iron people made it possible for mining to start. Minerals like iron, silver, gold, tin and copper w![]ere being extracted from underground. After iron was smelted it was then used to make tools like axes, hoes, knives, arrowheads or jewellery
• The use of iron made shifting cultivation possible as pieces of land could be cleared and trees could be easily cur down, piled, burnt and used as manure
• They was domestication of crops like sorghum, millet and vegetables which improved diet
• Surplus food was used for trade
• The economy changed from a hunting and gathering one to a food production one
• They was improvement in the diet as meat was now easy to obtain with the use of iron tools
• People began to domesticate animals like cows,donkeys,goats,sheep etc and this was the first agricultural skills the early iron age people developed. Farming allowed them to have formal settlements and therefore nomadic lifestyle was abandoned

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Social effects

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• They made settlements made of pole and dagga and up to today in Zimbabwe people still built houses made of pole and dagga..They was a growth of social institutions.The class system was beginning to emerge since having a lot of livestock and agricultural products was regarded as being rich.Large communities and villages started to emerge.
• Social institutions grew and became more complex social classes began with rainmakers, priests, master huntersand metal craftsmen ,cattle owners
• Minerals were used as a symbol of wealth and were used to pay lobola and tribute payment
• Due to change in economic activities, discrimination in women started as their chores such as housekeeping ,gathering and cultivation were regarded as less
• Male dominance emerged, societies became patriarchal
• The fact that some people acquired luxury goods and many cattle from trade it necessitated marriage arrangements. Those with possessions could marry many wives and women were seen as a source of labour. Polygamy also resulted in the society

Political effects

• During iron age the basic unit of production was the homestead which consisted of a man, wives and children usually
• The rich started to effect rules and regulations so as to keep their position and wealth
• Armies were built to protect wealth and their families
• The rich became chiefs and kings
• The chiefs had control over land and redistributed it
• Iron led to the formation of states we will learn later Great Zimbabwe. Mutapa, Rozvi etc
• Iron age made it possible for warfare and killing of many people because the tools were now lethal
• Tribute payment was another use of iron and it was paid by subjects and failure to pay tribute resulted in punishment and if it were a state they will be raided

Religious effects
• Iron usage led to the beginning or religious practices and people believed in the Supreme God Nyadenga creator of the heaven and earth
• The ruling class was guided and protected by spirit mediums and diviners
• These solved succession disputes
• They mediated between the people and their ancestors for good rains and harvests
• Religion brought in unity as the ruling class tolerated exploitation
• Disobedience to the advice by the spirit medium led to disasters such as crop failure , droughts, late rains ,lighting strikes

In Conclusion
Iron age technology brought about by the Bantu speaking people who came to the south from the north and central Africa. They mixed with many African people which is why many African people are Bantu –speaking. They also introduced iron smelting technology and agriculture to these groups and founded kingdoms that we shall learn in my next post like Great Zimbabwe ,Mutapa etc.
Thank you all for reading

Reference for further reading

https://www.revision.co.zw/effects-usage-iron/
http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/iron-age-kingdoms-southern-africa

thanks to @rocking-dave for the gif and @nitesh9