Naletale (or Nalatale) are ruins located about 25 kilometres east of Shangani in Matabeleland South, Zimbabwe and east of the Danangombe ruins.

Naletale wall

The ruins are attributed to the Kalanga Torwa State and are thought to date from the seventeenth century, and were occupied through the eighteenth to nineteenth centuries during Rozvi rule.[1] The primary monument at the site is a colossal wall constructed from stone masonry. It is highly decorated, featuring all of the designs of the Zimbabwe architectural tradition: chevrons, herringbone, chequers, cords, and ironstone colored bands. The original wall was topped by plinths. The complex also features the remains of the principal hut. It is assumed that this was the residence of the Torwa king. The site was damaged by early treasure hunters seeking gold, but remains one of the best-preserved and most impressive archaeological monuments in Zimbabwe.

19°52′52″S 29°31′50″E / 19.88111°S 29.53056°E / -19.88111; 29.53056

References

  1. ↑ Machiridza, Lesley Hatipone (1 September 2020). "Landscapes and Ethnicity: An Historical Archaeology of Khami-Phase Sites in Southwestern Zimbabwe". Historical Archaeology. 54 (3): 647–675. doi:10.1007/s41636-020-00259-z. ISSN 2328-1103.


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