A hill town between the desert and the farmland, occupied from about 700 for some thousand years.
On 1 January 1200 it is in its Toutswe phase, with the elite's rank resting on the best herds; glass beads, a little copper and bronze, ivory and skins show its trade. In the thirteenth century the Toutswe phase ends in a great fire and a new elite (the Lose) with Mapungubwe-like houses and pottery takes over.
Who holds it
- Title
- Seat of the chief of Bosutswe (see Chief of Bosutswe)
- Since
- Not pinned
- Confidence
- low
Lord in 1200
The chief of Bosutswe, name not known.
How things stand that morning
A main Toutswe centre in its Toutswe phase.
Charter
None: a settlement under a chief, without written privileges.
Fairs and markets
No fixed markets are known; exchange at the chief's court and with visiting traders.
Trade and crafts
Cattle, sheep and goats; ivory and skins; glass beads; copper and bronze ornaments for the elite.
Where the sources disagree
Evidence: Excavated by Denbow and colleagues (1990s-2000s).
Primary sources for Toutswe
Chronicles, registers, sagas and inscriptions written in or near 1200 that cover this entry. Each has its own page with editions, translations and where to read it.
- Mapungubwe, the Zimbabwe plateau, Toutswe and the Comoros: the archaeological record (no text; radiocarbon-dated sites). There is no written word from the interior south of the Zambezi or from the Comoros in 1200; all that is known is from excavation. Read online
Sources and studies
- Bosutswe (Wikipedia, citing Denbow et al. 2007, 2008)
- Kieffer and Lindsay, Rise of the Toutswe kingdom (EBSCO Research Starters, 2022, summarising Denbow)
Last revised 4 November 2026. Published 4 November 2026. Suggest a correction on the OMNIA Discord.