Matendera (Eastern Region)

Located in Buhera District amid a semi-arid landscape of the Zimbabwe Plateau, Matendera occupies a pivotal role in Zimbabwe’s historical narrative. The area is home to indigenous Shona communities, speaking predominantly Karanga and Manyika dialects. The Shona community’s ancestral roots can be traced back to an architectural legacy intimately linked with the well-known Zimbabwe Culture, dating from the 11th and 18th centuries AD. This architectural style is known as madzimbahwe (pl.) which comprises a collection of dry stone walled (crafted without mortar or binding agents) palaces known colloquially as ‘houses of stone’.

Matendera stone structures are crafted from rectangular blocks hewn from granite outcroppings. These blocks meticulously come together to create stable, freestanding, and curved walls, standing twice as high as their width. The sophistication of the stonework is evidenced by the adornment of intricate chevron designs. Archaeological finds at Matendera further mirror those discovered at the World Heritage Site of Great Zimbabwe, including opaque glass beads, shell disks, circular metal objects (made of copper and bronze), and pottery. Matendera distinguishes itself as the largest known dzimbahwe (sing.) in eastern Zimbabwe characterised by its impressive architecture.

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Matendera thrives as a living heritage site where local communities annually gather to celebrate through local dances, traditional music, cuisine, and a marathon, known collectively as the Matendera Arts Festival. The event is collaboratively run by the National Museums and Monuments of Zimbabwe (NMMZ), the Buhera Rural District Council (BRDC), and other stakeholders.

Sources
1. Chipangura, Njabulo & Nyamushosho, Robert Tendai & Pasipanodya, Takudzwa. (2019). Living site, living values – the Matendera festival as practice in community conservation and presentation. International Journal of Intangible Heritage. 14 [Link].
2. Chipangura, Njabulo. (2018). Cultural heritage sites and contemporary uses: finding a balance between monumentality and intangibility in Eastern Zimbabwe. Research Handbook on Contemporary Intangible Cultural Heritage Law and Heritage, pp.379-398.
3. Lindal, A and Matenga, E. (1995). Present and Past: Ceramics and homesteads An ethnoarchaeological project in the Buhera district, Zimbabwe. Studies in African Archaeology 11. Uppsala [Link].
4. Matendera Ruins. National Monuments of Zimbabwe [Link]

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