Abstract:
This research presents an interpretation of the faunal remains from MNR 74, a small 13th century AD settlement
located in the Limpopo Valley, east of Musina in South Africa. Archaeological excavations undertaken in 2013 yielded
material that connects the site to the larger socio-political interaction sphere of the Mapungubwe polity (c. AD
1220–1290).The widespread impact of the development of social complexity in the Limpopo Valley is best understood
through a regional approach.However, only a limited number of archaeozoological reports from Mapungubwe period
settlements are available. The data from MNR 74 provide a valuable addition to our understanding of regional faunal
use patterns. Here, subsistence strategies focused on herding (cattle and sheep/goats), while wild animals were
intermittently hunted, trapped and collected.The presence of a possible black rat (Rattus rattus), together with traded
glass beads, confirm that the people at MNR 74 participated in broader Indian Ocean trade networks.
