The Ancient City of Thulamela in South Africa: Stolen Treasures and Shattered Legends
핵심 요약
- Despite being presented as a heritage symbol, the Thulamela archaeological site has not been systematically investigated for thirty years.
- Carbon-14 tests confirmed that this nine-hectare stone-walled settlement was used between 1447 and 1643.
- The gold artifacts and double tomb discovered in 1993 gave rise to the legend of royalty, but scientists state that this is unproven.
- The gold treasures displayed in the Skukuza museum were stolen; the other archived findings in Pretoria have never been examined to date.
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Presented as a symbol of post-apartheid South Africa's cultural heritage, the Thulamela region still harbors a great mystery thirty years later. According to new research published in the journal Conservation and Management of Archaeological Sites, this ancient settlement located within the borders of Kruger National Park has never been subjected to a systematic examination. Almost all the historical narratives accepted regarding the region are based solely on assumptions rather than evidence.
The archaeological remains point to a very solid foundation: there are stone walls covering an area of approximately nine hectares, settlement areas, granaries, and animal pens. Carbon-14 analyses reveal that the region was used between 1447 and 1643. However, new studies conducted on the artifacts obtained during the excavations in the 1990s, which have never been analyzed until now, have begun to question past claims of a kingdom.
The event that brought the region to fame was the discovery of human skeletons found along with gold artifacts in 1993. However, researchers warn against the popular belief that these tombs belong to royalty. The fact that the two tombs date at least fifty years apart and that the displayed gold artifacts were subsequently stolen seriously contradicts the established historical narratives about Thulamela.
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- What exact information is known about the history of the Thulamela region?
- It has been proven by carbon-14 dating that the region was an organized settlement covering an area of approximately 9 hectares between 1447 and 1643.
- What happened to the gold artifacts found in Thulamela?
- The gold artifacts on display in the museum were stolen; the remaining findings obtained from the excavations were forgotten in museum vaults without ever being researched.
- Why is the claim of royal tombs met with skepticism?
- Because the dates of the tombs differ by at least fifty years, and there is no scientific evidence as to whether these individuals lived in the same period or belonged to a royal family.