Danan’ombe Monument
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Danan’ombe was the capital of the Rozvi state from about 1693 to the early 1800’s. It became the capital of the Rozvi after Changamire Dombo defeated the Torwa dynasty at Khami near Bulawayo. Archaeology there is no clear distinction between the occupational layers of the Torwa and the Rozvi although traditions and documentary evidence suggests that Danan’mombe was occupied by different groups of the people at different times.
See National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe.
Background
In the earliest days of the occupation of Zimbabwe Danan’ombe was plundered by treasure-seekers, the greediest being the American prospectors, Frank Burnham and Pearl Ingram, whose 1894 finds are described below. Another 140 ounces were found the following year by the Ancient Ruins Company, as well as the religious relics of a Portuguese mission found on the low granite platform near the main ruin. They included portions of a bronze bowl, bronze oil lamps, a bell, and a priest’s private seal, three feet of gold chain and pieces of silver plate, as well as two cannon. Hans Sauer in his book Ex Africa describes how he alerted Rhodes to the damage the company was causing to the ancient ruins at Danan’ombe and within forty-eight hours their activities had been brought to a halt and soon afterwards the company had collapsed.
Inhabitants
Danan’ombe’s earliest inhabitants appear to have been the Torwa Dynasty until they were overthrown by the Rozvi Dynasty in 1693. The Rozvi Mambo’s (i.e. paramount Chiefs) and their subordinate chiefs appear to have inhabited Khame, Danan’ombe, Bumboosi, Naletale, Zinjanja and Manyanga (formerly Ntabazikamambo) until the 1830’s when they in turn were violently overrun by Nguni ethnic groups during the Mfecane. There are reports that the last reigning Rozvi Mambo was killed, some say skinned alive, at Manyanga ruins, some 70 Kilometres to the northwest.
Following his excavations, Roger Summers dates the inhabited period of Danan’ombe from 1350 to 1825. However, archaeologically there is no clear distinction between the occupational layers of the Torwa and Rozvi and it is likely that that the Torwa were just absorbed within the Rozvi culture. Local oral traditions report that the ruins were still inhabited until the 1890’s.
Objects found at Danan’ombe
Peter Garlake in his epic Great Zimbabwe relates that after Bent found crucibles with traces of gold at Zimbabwe all the ruins became increasingly associated with rumours of gold. In addition to the gold and Portuguese religious relics the most common finds at Danan’ombe were pottery bowls and pots found by Caton-Thompson, other finds made locally included carved bone objects (possibly amulets) iron objects and bronze-wire bangles fused to arms and legs of skeletons.
One of the cannons was a bronze breech-loader, the other an iron muzzle-loader, and both bore the Portuguese coat of arms, but as stated above they are not evidence of Portuguese military occupation of the fort. There are several records in the Portuguese chronicles of arms and ammunition being supplied to friendly Africans to aid them in their wars with hostile neighbours, and some records, also, of the capture of arms from the Portuguese.
Of the imported products, over 600 glass beads were found, sky-blue being the commonest colour. A blue and white Chinese Ming dynasty bowl (1368 – 1644) five Dutch square gin bottles manufactured about 1700 and some metal imported objects including an Islamic bronze candlestick, the Portuguese silver church regalia (now missing from the National Museum) and the two Portuguese iron cannon.
Major attractions at Dananombe/Dhlodhlo National Monument
- Site Museum with outstanding artefacts from Dananombe and related sites
- Khami type stonewalling and terracing
- Exposed house structures and grain bins
- Geological formations
- Peaceful and scenic environment
Why Visit
Danan’ombe became important after the decline of Great Zimbabwe in the late 1400’s. The Torwa State emerged in the west of modern Zimbabwe with its capital at Khame near Bulawayo in Matabeleland and its outlying centres including Danan’ombe Naletale and Zinjanja and Manyanga. They are all concentrated within 100 kilometres of the Matobo hills. In 1693 Changamire defeated the Torwa dynasty at Khame near Bulawayo and Danan’ombe became the capital of the Rozvi state until the 1830’s. Danan’ombe is photogenic and easily accessible from Shangani off the A5 Gweru to Bulawayo highway on good all-weather gravel roads and has an excellent site museum.
Zimbabwe Monuments, Galleries And Museums
