Jack of Two Trades,Master of Both: Smelting and Healing in Ufipa,Southwestern Tanzania |
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Authors: | Bertram Mapunda |
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Institution: | (1) Department of History, University of Dar es Salaam, P. O. Box 35050, University Hill, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania |
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Abstract: | Pre-colonial African ironworking was much more than just a technology; it encompassed economic, social, political, symbolic,
and even healing components. It is only unfortunate that archaeometallurgical research has not availed equal weight to each
aspect, hence the apparent obscurity of some of them. Revealing the multiple facets of healing as manifested in ironworking
technology, this paper attempts to rectify this imbalance. Essentially, the paper examines pros and cons of combining ironworking
with healing of humans, a phenomenon common among ironworking communities in pre-colonial Africa. It is revealed that by combining
the two, iron smelters ensured themselves of gains beyond technology and economy; they also became socially and politically
influential. In addition, the paper notes that there existed a very close connection between healing and ritualism not only
among smelter–healers but also conventional healers. After a thorough examination, it is found that the connection between
the two was also pragmatic and deliberately instituted by the practitioners in order to enhance monopoly of their trade and
protect their inventions against interlopers. |
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