Study History notes on Sources of History for Secondary. Useful for revision, homework, and exam preparation in Zimbabwe.
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This is the History notes. It is a free notes for revision.
HISTORY OF ZIMBABWE - The history to be covered is divided into two: pre-colonial (before colonisation) and post-colonial (after colonisation) - The pre-colonial period was the period i) which covers from the Early Stone Age to the period when Zimbabwe was not yet colonised and ii) when the area now known as Zimbabwe was not subjected to colonial rule - Boundaries of Zimbabwe are artificial - Before colonisation the term 'Zimbabwe Plateau' is more appropriate - The Zimbabwe plateau stretched into Mozambique - The pre-colonial history is now known to us through the following methods: oral traditions, linguistics, archaeology, written documents usually written by foreigners and also through anthropology - These historical sources have limitations (disadvantages, problems) in as far as prehistory is concerned - They have also strengths (advantages) for they enable us to reconstruct the past. - Portuguese and Arabic documents mainly concentrate on economic activities with the Shona of the plateau New Terms - Culture - tradition (in this context refers to the materials or objects used by a group of people) - Wares - these are materials of a special type e.g. hoes, axes, spears - Comb-stamping - is a decorative mark produced on the neck of a clay pot - Ceramic - it a hard and brittle material made by heating clay to very high temperatures - Typological development - a specified development e.g. clay pots - Phase - stage or period - Diagonal comb stamping - it is a decorative mark from corner to corner or a stamping line - Elaborate - good or finer detail - Cowrie - a brightly coloured or marked sea-shell e.g. ndoro shells - ca. - (circa): used before a date to indicate that it is approximate or estimated, for example ca. 1300 BC - Prehistory [AD1498 and before] - history before written word; the period before history was first recorded in writing; - Pre-literate societies = pre-historic societies [AD 1498 and backwards] e.g. the San and the Khoi-Khoi. - Pre-colonial [before colonisation] = 1890 and before - Contemporary - of the same time - - Eurocentric - focussing on Europe; focussing on Europe or its people, institutions and cultures, often in a way that dismisses achievements of others - Afrocentric - centred on or originating in Africa or appreciating the achievements of Africa - Radio Carbon dating - a method of dating carbon remains based on their content of Carbon 14; a method of calculating the age of prehistoric objects by measuring the decay of …