LOCATED in Gwembe District of Southern Province Ing’omble Illede Archaeological site in one the most important archaeological sites that have unlocked the history of Zambia and other countries in the sub region.
Ing’ombe Ilede Hill was discovered during construction of the pump house for the supply of water to surrounding villages in 1960 and declared a National Monument in the year 1965.
This was as a result of the archaeological finding from studies that were conducted between 1960 and 1968 by Mr J. H. Chaplin, Dr Briam M. Fagan and Dr D. W. Phillipson.
The site has in its centre a huge Baobab tree which looks like a sleeping cow, hence the name Ing’ombe Ilede meaning a sleeping now.
Some of the facts leading to declaration of the site as a National Monument are the Iron Age archaeological remains of a farming community and cemetery near the confluence of the Zambezi and Lusitu rivers in Zambia and evidences of that the site was first occupied in the 7th Century AD, and reached its pinnacle in the 15th Century AD Artifacts recovered from the site included textiles, probably traded from India, and copper ore ingots. The residents probably traded the ingots with the people of Great Zimbabwe.
The site was an important village and burial ground from the seventh to the 11th Century AD Gold, copper and ivory were traded in exchange for luxuries imported from the east coast of Africa. Many richly adorned skeletons have been recovered from the hill which is one of the most important archaeological sites in Zambia.
This year’s International Museums Day celebrations under the theme museums for sustainable society which draw a number of Museums professionals from different countries such as Botswana, Malawi and Namibia included a visit to the Ing’ombe Ilede National Monuments.
It was at this event that I caught up with two Museum experts; Mr Musokabanji an archaeologist and Dr Mufuzi a Historian who is also a director at Lusaka Museum who gave splendid interpretations of the site from both the archaeological and historical perspectives.
According to Mr Mushokabanji, the Ingombe Ilede Archaeological site was discovered in 1960 when foundation works for construction were started. The workers who were conducting these works discovered human skeletons and contacted the then National Monuments Commission which is now National Heritage Conservation Commission. The same year, J. H. chaplin who was in charge of the National Monuments Commission went to the site and carried out initial excavation works. During his excavations, he discovered a lot of information and went back. Another archaeologist from Livingstone museum Brian M. Fagan came to the site in 1961 and conducted archaeological works and went back to the site 1962 for further executions. Results conducted from the two archaeologists reveal that about 49 human skeletons of different ages were discovered. A good collection of copper bungles, gold and glass bids, clothes and tongs where also discovered. This collection of artifacts was taken to Livingstone Museum.
He explained that From the 49 skeletons found at the site archaeologists where able to identify social classes or strata with a higher class buried with gold bids. The higher class were thought to have been in control of trade around the area. It was a trading site, meaning that the gold bids that were from Zimbabwe, then slaves were coming from the Copperbelt, ivory was from within Zambia, other items such as cloths and glass bids were coming from the Middle East.
He further explained that the site was occupied as early as the 7th Century and the trade was in about 15th Century. The pottery that was discovered at the sites which dates back to the 7th Century is similar to others found in other areas where the Tonga-speaking people have settled, an indication that this group of people may have arrived in what is now called Zambia as early as the 7th Century.
The Baobab tree, which is in the centre of an ancient grave yard at Ing’ombe Ilede National Monument has a hole inside which can fit up to 20 people is also believed to have been a grave yard.
Coming to the historical perspective, as we may already know historians use oral history and archaeological interpretation to deduce findings of a particular study. Dr Mufuzi, a Historian explained that archeology has already established that this area was occupied by the 7th Century. Perhaps it could be deduced that the ancestors of the Tonga-speaking people were in the area from as early as that time.
The trading area is linked to the Mwenemutapa Kingdom which was quiet strong in the 7th Century in Zimbabwe, hence the link with the Zimbabwe ruins or the Great Zimbabwe which was disturbed by the Portuguese and other foreign influences so much that after the 7th Century the kingdom declined. Dr Mufuzi stated that this could be linked to the decline of trade at Ing’ombe Ilede after the 7th Century due to the connection with the declined Mwenemutapa Kingdom in terms of trade. The settlement around the site is seen again in form by the 15th Century, by 1400 there was a settlement that was doing well at Ing’ombe Ilede in terms of trade.
He also confirmed that works done by archaeologist found two types of graves one type had skeletons with a number of ornaments like glass bids, silk clothes, copper ingots, Corry shells which are popularly known as the Mpande came from East Africa, as well as silk clothes from India. By 1600, there was a well-nourished settlement at the site and there were two types of trade that was taking place. There was local and foreign trade. Local trade brought items like the copper ingots from the Copperbelt, slaves and elephant tasks which were used to acquire foreign items such as clothes and gold bids from across in the Mwenemutapa Kingdom.
Ing’ombe Ilede remains a very important archaeological site for the history of trade in Africa.  For more information on this subject matter contact the executive director, National Heritage Conservation Commission, P.O. Box 320013, Lusaka. Telefax: +260 211 226506, Tel: +260 211 236717 or Email: chitalubmc@gmail.com