Archives, objects, places and landscapes multidisciplinary approaches to decolonised Zimbabwean pasts

Munyaradzi Manyanga & Shadreck Chirikure

 

Synopsis

Dissatisfaction has matured in Africa and elsewhere around the fact that often, the dominant frameworks for interpreting the continent’s past are not rooted on the continent’s value system and philosophy. This creates knowledge that does not make sense especially to local communities. The big question therefore is can Africans develop theories that can contribute towards the interpretation of the African past, using their own experiences? Framed within a concept revision substrate, the collection of papers in this thought provoking volume argues for concept revision as a step towards decolonizing knowledge in the post-colony. The various papers powerfully expose that ‘cleansed’ knowledge is not only locally relevant: it is also locally accessible and globally understandable.

Review

The authors provide a compelling example of how the revision of concepts can transform our understanding of the African past. Achieved through a sure-footed understanding and application of new techniques and methodologies, this volume illustrates how we are witnessing the emergence of a new era of African scholarship. - Michael Rowlands

Authors

Munyaradzi Manyanga is a senior lecturer in archaeology and heritage management at the University of Zimbabwe. He holds a licentiate and PhD from Uppsala University, Sweden.

Shadreck Chirikure is an Associate Professor in the Department of Archaeology at the University of Cape Town. He obtained the degrees his PhD in Archaeology (2005) from the Institute of Archaeology, University College London.