Browsing by Author "Kilonzo, Rehema"

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The origin and disappearance of the wambambali tradition and the succeeding wagogo communities in Dodoma: oral stories from elders
(2021) Kokeli, Peter Ryano; Mwakipesile, Augustino; Temu, Emanuel; Ngw’inamila, Kasongi; Ngowi, Edwin; Kilonzo, Rehema; Sadasivuni, Krishna Rao
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.
Rescue archaeology at open-air sites around the University of Dodoma, central Tanzania
(South African Archaeological Bulletin, 2021) Ryano, Kokeli P.; Augustino, Augustino; Rao, Krishna S.; Ng'winamila, Kasongi; Temu, Emmanuel; Ngowi, Edwin; Kilonzo, Rehema
A team of researchers from the University of Dodoma conducted a rescue study involving systematic and random land walkover surveys, interviews and group discussions with elders, and minimal excavations around the periphery of the institution. Findings indicate the existence of two traditions that are temporally separated by thousands of years. The lithic artefacts, analysed through a technologi- cal-attribute approach, suggest an older tradition that belongs to the Middle Stone Age prepared Levalloisian core technology that we estimate to have occurred between 60 and 50 ka. The cores were knapped in a unidirectional fashion using hard hammer to produce flakes or blades. The younger materials represent a civilisation of peasant farmers and probably pastoralists, the cause of whose disap- pearance is still unknown. According to oral history, these were the Wambambali people whose disappearance may have been a result of recurrent famines. This civilisation is represented by remains of pottery and of deserted settlements and buildings. Most of the pottery is in pieces (c. 86%) identified to be body parts, while others (c. 14%) represent rims, necks, and shoulders. The buildings were constructed using thatch and daub and they were likely burnt before settling in to solidify the structures. This research represents an important opportu- nity and has convinced us to now call on authorities and other stake- holders to ensure the protection of the cultural heritage through emphasising impact assessment studies prior to any destructive project.
Transferring cultural geo-history datasets of artifacts using gis geodatabase for archiving in Dodoma capital city, Tanzania
(2018) Mwakipesile, Augustino; Ngowi, Edwin; Kasongi, Ng’winamila; Temu, Emmanuel; Kilonzo, Rehema
The study aimed to create a historical geographic information system (HGIS), including a geodatabase and simple web application for Dodoma Capital City (DCC) in Tanzania. A web GIS application based is an outcome of the study that can improves research on, and knowledge of, the rare artifacts of cultural and historical heritage in Dodoma Capital City (DCC) for historians and the wider academic community. Likewise, spatial data incorporated allows for visualization of the relationship between people, and their geographic and cultural surroundings. Therefore, the cultural geo-history in this paper describes the specific connection of the cultural artifacts and historical site in a given area to their environment and geographic space. For that purpose, the Dodoma Capital City (DCC) historical artifacts as a case study were cataloged based on GIS techniques, geocoding protocols, and describing the artifacts to create an intuitive and familiar tool for historical researchers and archivists to better understand the cultural geo-history of Dodoma Capital City (DCC). The resulting tool, the Dodoma Capital City Historical Geographical Information System (DCCHGIS), combines a geodatabase and a web application to provide access to a small portion of the geospatial cultural history of Dodoma Capital City (DCC). The DCCHGIS demonstrates that archiving are useful in creating an accurate, informative, and usable Historical Geographic Information System (HGIS) tool that increase the knowledge of and access to cultural geo-history