African Archaeology Hub

If you are curious about where ARCHAEOGAMING is today, and where it might be heading next, we are happy to share our book chapter, “WHERE WE ARE AND WHERE WE ARE GOING: A LOOK AT THE PRESENT AND FUTURE OF ARCHAEOGAMING AS A SUBFIELD OF ARCHAEOLOGY,” recently published in ARCHAEOGAMING AS SCHOLARLY PLAY: THE INTERSECTION OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND GAMING, a wonderful volume expertly edited by Megan Victor and published by Berghahn Books

In this chapter, Robert Tendai Nyamushosho reflects on how archaeogaming has evolved as a subfield of archaeology, where it stands today, and the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead. As digital games continue to shape how we engage with the past, archaeogaming offers exciting possibilities for research, heritage, education, and public engagement.

Let's continue the conversation.

We are deeply grateful to SABC SAfmRadio one of South Africa's leading public radio stations, for featuring our work recently published in The Conversation Africa on Great Zimbabwe and the important conversation around debunking long-standing myths of tyrants and forced labour in its construction.

It was a privilege last night to discuss how archaeological and historical evidence continues to reshape our understanding of one of Africa's greatest civilizations on the Rainbow Nation programme.

Our sincere thanks goes to Jon Gericke for a thoughtful and engaging interview, and to Ben Rikhotso for the invite.

The recording is available below for anyone interested in the conversation. We hope you enjoy listening, and we look forward to your thoughts.

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Rainbow Nation: Great Zimbabwe: debunking the myth of tyrants and forced labour - Nightfall Guest: Robert T. Nyamushosho - Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Queens College, City University of New York

What if we have been telling the wrong story about Great Zimbabwe?

For generations, Great Zimbabwe has been portrayed as the seat of a despotic kingdom, built by rulers who commanded labor from above. This narrative has done more than shape interpretations of the past. It has sometimes been used to suggest that authoritarian rule is somehow “natural” to African societies.

But our archaeological research in Mberengwa is revealing a different story, one of cooperation, collective action, and community participation.

In this article published in The Conversation Africa, Robert Tendai Nyamushosho revisits one of Africa's greatest civilizations, challenging the myths that continue to shape our understanding of the people who built Great Zimbabwe and the hundreds of other madzimbahwe spread across present-day Zimbabwe, Mozambique, South Africa, and Botswana.

Great Zimbabwe: Debunking the Myths of Tyrants and Forced Labor

Let’s engage

Great Zimbabwe: debunking the myth of tyrants and forced labour New research indicates that collective forms of governance were more likely.

Many thanks to our incredible chairs, Laure Dussubieux and Ezekia Mtetwa, for bringing together such an inspiring symposium: “Beads in Africa: Technologies, Meanings, and Connections Across Time” at the Society for American Archaeology 91st Annual Meeting
From ancient technologies to cultural meanings and long-distance connections, the discussions highlighted just how powerful something as small as a bead can be in telling big stories about Africa’s past.
It was truly energizing to connect with fellow Africanists and share perspectives across disciplines. Looking forward to continuing these conversations!

🚨 FINAL CALL! 🚨 PANAF Conference 2026 — Call for Abstracts
🗓 Deadline: 30 March 2026
🎓 SESSION: 95 YEARS OF THE ZIMBABWE CULTURE: RUINS, REACTIONS, AND REIMAGINATIONS
👉 Submit now: https://tinyurl.com/panafmoz2026

🚨 FINAL CALL! 🚨 ASAPA Conference 2026 — Call for Presentation Abstracts
🗓 Deadline: 31 January 2026
🎓 Session: Reframing Material Culture Studies in African Archaeology: Theory, Method, & Decolonial Futures
👉 Submit now: https://asapa2026.co.za/

📢Session announcement📢

Robert T. Nyamushosho is hosting a session titled 'Reframing material culture studies in African archaeology: Theory, method, and decolonial futures'. Please submit an abstract by 31 January 2026 if you are interested in presenting a paper during this session.

Join us tomorrow for our presentation, “Why Decolonization in African Archaeology Matters,” at the 2025 Likoda Annual Meeting on Decolonizing Research & International Collaboration in Africa!
📍 Virtual - ZOOM
🕖 7:00 PM Eastern Time (USA)

🔗 Register here: https://surl.li/yzgyqm

New Publication Alert 📢 📢

🎉 A happy Friday comes with a new PRI publication! 🎉

We are proud to celebrate our Research Associate, Dr. Robert T. Nyamushosho, on his latest publication in World Archaeology! 🧡

📘 Title: Crafting and everyday archaeology at Chumnungwa
🔗 Explore the full paper on the link below:

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00438243.2025.2546090

This exciting work delves into the indigenous crafting practices of a lesser-known Zimbabwe culture community in southern Africa during the Iron Age, challenging the dominant narratives that associate craft specialization exclusively with large, architecturally prominent urban centres such as Great Zimbabwe.

Happy reading!



University of Johannesburg UJ Faculty of Humanities