Archaeology & Monuments

Archaeology – From the Greek “archaiologia” meaning ancient is the study of human activity in the past, primarily through material, which includes artifacts, architecture and cultural landscapes that they left behind.

The Department of Archaeology at the Natural History Museum of Zimbabwe is the research and conservation unit responsible for national monuments, archaeological sites and historic buildings in the region. It is responsible for several activities:

The annual monument inspections of all declared sites in the region
The design of exhibitions in the various museums in the region
Addressing public queries and those of researchers
The restoration of dry-stone structures where necessary
The maintenance of the regional register of archaeological sites
The preservation of all buildings erected prior to 1910

The Department is responsible for two public galleries in the Natural History Museum – the Hall of Kings that displays a panorama of the history of Zimbabwe, and the Hall of Man which displays the development of humans from the early hominids to the present. It is additionally responsible for various smaller displays at sites around the region.

Collections in the Department include bone, stone, metal pottery, glass and shell objects obtained from excavations at various sites such as Hillside Dams, Old Bulawayo, Khami Ruins, Hwange and Matopos.

The prime Cultural Heritage sites for which the Department is responsible include: Khami World Heritage Site, Matopos World Heritage Landscape and Old Bulawayo or koBulawayo.

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258 reviews on

David Reason

26/01/2021

This is a fabulous treasure for Zimbabwe with around 7 separate galleries of very well presented exhibits such as geology, entomology, herpetology, African mammals, colonial history, local African tribes, astronomy, humankind and mycology (fungi). It also houses hundreds of thousands of specimens in around 10 Collections, including arachnids, Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths), birds, snakes, plants and fungi - these Collections can be seen but by appointment only. The museum staff are pleasant and knowledgeable. There is an onsite café to pick up a snack or two and a public library of really interesting natural history books. There is also good info on the two World Heritage sites managed by the museum, these being the Matobo World View site and the Khami Ruins which are also magical places to go and visit!