Materialities of Graves in Colonial Matobo, c1890-1960s

Graves in the Matobo Hills, Zimbabwe, serve as powerful symbols of historical struggle and community resistance against state power. This study reveals that while the colonial state sought to dominate through control of graves, local communities—including the Ndebele and BaKalanga—weaponized these sites to assert autonomy and defy authority. Using ethnographic methods, the research demonstrates divergent trajectories between state and community narratives surrounding Matobo's landscape, highlighting graves as central to negotiations of belonging over a century. The findings underscore how material culture, particularly burial sites, encapsulates broader power dynamics at UNESCO-listed heritage sites, offering insights into colonial legacies and indigenous resilience.

Bvurire, S. (2023). Materialities of graves in Colonial Matobo, c1890-1960s. International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, 5(5). https://doi.org/10.36948/ijfmr.2023.v05i05.6045