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Archaeologists reveal musical instruments depicted in Zimbabwe's ancient rock art

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2024-12-01 03:30:03

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A study published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa by archaeologists Dr. Joshua Kumbani and Prof. Margarita Díaz-Andreu explores the intriguing relationship between Zimbabwean rock art and musical instruments.

Southern Africa has a long history of rock art research. However, research examining the relationship between rock art and music is scarce, especially in Zimbabwe.

"The subject of musical instruments in the rock art or archaeological excavations has not been prioritized. Rock art is one of the most reliable sources of music archaeology if we want to reconstruct the music and sound production of people in the past, and hence, this research focused on rock art. Most previous rock art research in Zimbabwe has focused on other aspects like themes in the rock art and regional variations across Zimbabwe," says Dr. Kumbani.

However, in the past few years, Prof. Sarah Wurz of the University of the Witwatersrand's research team has started addressing this research gap and identifying and documenting musical instruments in South Africa. Dr. Kumbani and Prof. Díaz-Andreu's research is an extension of this research into Zimbabwe.