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<p>In this article, we examine the complex sociopolitical and cultural issues that are entangled and intertwined with the notions of ‘remembered’ and ‘forgotten’ pasts using a case study of precolonial monumental stone-built places in Hwange district, northwestern Zimbabwe. These stone-built places are archaeologically and historically associated with the establishment and development of the precolonial Nambya state, a complex precolonial sociopolitical formation that flourished in this region until its demise during the early part of the 20th century AD. Our recent archaeological surveys revealed that, in addition to the three previously known and widely reported major sites of Bumbusi, Shangano, and Matowa, 14 similar stone buildings of various sizes in the area have since been confirmed and documented. Of these many sites, however, only the three above-cited places have been ‘inherited’, feature prominently in oral historical narratives, and are revered and celebrated by the descendants of the precolonial Nambya state. While their presence within the landscape is acknowledged, the other similar places do not feature in oral narratives or are used for ritual functions, representing what other heritage scholars have termed ‘uninherited’ pasts. Here, we investigate local communities’ perceptions and attitudes towards what constitutes important heritage places and situate our research findings within the global discourse on heritagisation and the practices of remembrance and forgetting.</p>

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‘Some pasts are more important than others’: remembering and conserving built heritage places among descendants of the precolonial Nambya state in northwestern Zimbabwe

  • 期刊论文

  • 出版模式：

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  • 发表日期：

    2026年6月24日

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  • Munyaradzi Elton Sagiya,
  • Plan Shenjere-Nyabezi

摘要

In this article, we examine the complex sociopolitical and cultural issues that are entangled and intertwined with the notions of ‘remembered’ and ‘forgotten’ pasts using a case study of precolonial monumental stone-built places in Hwange district, northwestern Zimbabwe. These stone-built places are archaeologically and historically associated with the establishment and development of the precolonial Nambya state, a complex precolonial sociopolitical formation that flourished in this region until its demise during the early part of the 20th century AD. Our recent archaeological surveys revealed that, in addition to the three previously known and widely reported major sites of Bumbusi, Shangano, and Matowa, 14 similar stone buildings of various sizes in the area have since been confirmed and documented. Of these many sites, however, only the three above-cited places have been ‘inherited’, feature prominently in oral historical narratives, and are revered and celebrated by the descendants of the precolonial Nambya state. While their presence within the landscape is acknowledged, the other similar places do not feature in oral narratives or are used for ritual functions, representing what other heritage scholars have termed ‘uninherited’ pasts. Here, we investigate local communities’ perceptions and attitudes towards what constitutes important heritage places and situate our research findings within the global discourse on heritagisation and the practices of remembrance and forgetting.