  Shown within South Africa | |
| Location | Gauteng, South Africa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 26°29′43″S 28°09′37″E / 26.4954°S 28.1604°E |
Kweneng’ ruins are the remains of a pre-colonial Tswana capital occupied from the 14th to the 19th century AD in South Africa. The site is located 30km south of the modern-day city of Johannesburg. Settlement at the site likely began around the 1300s and saw its peak in the 14th century. The Kweneng' ruins are similar to those built by other early civilizations found in the southern Africa region during this period, including the Luba–Lunda kingdom, Kingdom of Mutapa, Bokoni, and many others, as these groups share ancestry. Kweneng' was the largest of several sizable settlements inhabited by Tswana speakers prior to European arrival. Several circular stone walled family compounds are spread out over an area 10km long and 2km wide. It is likely that Kweneng' was abandoned in the 1820s during the period of colonial expansion-related civil wars known as the Mfecane or Difaqane, leading to the dispersal of its inhabitants.[1][2][3][4]
- ^ SADR, KARIM (2019). "KWENENG: HOW TO LOSE A PRECOLONIAL CITY". The South African Archaeological Bulletin. 74 (209): 56–62. ISSN 0038-1969.
- ^ Sadr, Karim (9 July 2019). "Kweneng: A Newly Discovered Pre-Colonial Capital Near Johannesburg". Journal of African Archaeology. 17 (1): 1–22. doi:10.1163/21915784-20190001. ISSN 1612-1651.
- ^ "Laser technology shines light on South African 'lost city' of Kweneng". the Guardian. 8 January 2019. Retrieved 30 November 2022.
- ^ Geggel, Laura (6 February 2019). "Lost City in South Africa Discovered Hiding Beneath Thick Vegetation". livescience.com. Retrieved 30 November 2022.