Object biography of a decorated ivory artefact from Vryheid (MNR04), a Late Iron Age site in the Limpopo valley of South Africa

Abstract

Vryheid (MNR04) is a small, isolated Late Iron Age homestead dated between the 18th and 19th centuries, located in northern South Africa. During excavations in 2014, a carved ivory artefact was exposed on the floor of a burnt-down hut. Because the item was extremely fragmented and fragile, but also a rare local example of carved ivory, directed conservation steps were implemented to reconstruct and conserve it. Microscopy, microtomography and X-ray diffraction analyses were conducted to determine the species of ivory. The results show that it was likely made from the lower incisor of a hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius). Comparisons with ethnographic objects from the region suggest that the artefact could have been a pommel or decorative knob on the sheath of a ceremonial knife. The fire that consumed the hut seems to have been a sudden event since several valuable objects – in addition to more mundane ones – were still inside the hut when it burned down. This allows us to interpret the ivory object in relation to its multiple contexts. By adopting a ‘relational biography’ approach (Joy 2009), this article draws together evidence from diverse sources to bring ‘drama’ to our understanding of the object, and helps situate it within its specific social, economic and material nexus.