Abstract
The current fast growth of the city of Dodoma in central Tanzania threatens cultural heritage materials scattered on the landscape. However, natural processes such as weathering and erosion also add to this threat. Earlier, we reported on the existence of two cultural traditions on this landscape, the Middle Stone Age artefacts and the much younger Wambambali tradition based on pottery, grinding stones and remains of collapsed buildings. This paper presents qualitative data about the latter tradition from the perception of elders. Although our main focus was on the Wambambali tradition, elders broadened our scope and so we discuss the Wambambali on the wider perspective that includes succeeding communities, the Wagogo. Interview and focus group discussion techniques were used to collect data. The current whereabout of the Wambambali people is not known but there are two suggestions: The majority went south while a small group may have gone to the north. On the other hand, the Wagogo communities are formed by founders from different ethnic groups and regions and elders involved in our research predominantly trace their origins to the Hehe and Bena communities in today’s Iringa/Njombe regions. The collective name for these incoming groups came to be known as Wagogo. Key words: Origin, disappearance, Wambambali tradition, Wagogo, cultural heritage.
Highlights
Due to the expansion of the capital city of Tanzania, Dodoma, cultural heritage materials around the new city are at a higher risk of destruction
In our first publication regarding the results of this research (Ryano et al, 2020), we reported the existence of two traditions, the old tradition represented by lithic artefacts designated to the Levalloisian Industry of the Middle Stone Age (MSA); and the much younger tradition created by farmers and possibly pastoralist communities generally known through oral tradition as Wambambali (Mnyampala, 1995)
Working on Mnyampala (1995)‟s estimation that Wagogo people arrived to Dodoma by AD 1300, in our research report (Ryano et al, 2020) we tentatively suggested that Wambambali tradition may date to the end of the first millennium AD and most possibly before that time
Summary
Due to the expansion of the capital city of Tanzania, Dodoma, cultural heritage materials around the new city are at a higher risk of destruction. Out by institutions such as universities, other projects targeting at improving the city to accommodate government and business activities, and farming. Natural processes such as erosion and weathering threaten the heritage materials this damage may not be to the extent affected by man-made activities. A salvage study was conducted between 14 and 28 August, 2018 to map and detail some of these materials and sites (Figure 1) that we could access given the resources we had at the time. Land walkover or pedestrian surveys, interview and focus group discussions with elders, and some minor excavations were conducted
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