Incorporation of Klein Bolayi in the Mapungubwe area
Prof Huffman brought Dr Verhoef along to visit the farm and see the findings first-hand. They travelled from Johannesburg and Pretoria respectively and upon arrival they took them to the sites.
When Prof Huffman pick up the first pot fragments, he was very amazed and emotional to have such important Africana in his hands. He turned to Dr Verhoef and said: “You know, Johan, I am holding the oldest artifact ever found in Southern Africa. This probably dates to 400 to 450 A.D.“.
The owner and the two archaeologists started to discuss the findings. Dr Verhoef was very excited to become involved in the archaeology part of the findings, but he also indicated that funding from the University of Pretoria may hamper the unearthing, but a plan can be made.
They sent three groups to focus each on a different site – unbelievable archaeology findings were made which included Chinese, Arabic, and Indian articles. Many bowls (by the handful) were unearthed on the sites and taken back to the University of Pretoria to be “clean up” and sorted according to their criteria. The discoveries and artifacts were placed on display at the University of Pretoria next to the findings from the Mapungubwe area.
The owners of Thaba Bolayi were requested by Dr Verhoef to enter into an agreement to be included in the greater Mapungubwe area, which they consequently did. The owners were informed a few months later that a festive ceremony would be held at the Mapungubwe Nasional Park (part of the South African National Parks’ proclaimed parks) to inaugurate Thaba Bolayi into the greater Mapungubwe area.
At this ceremony, attended by between 80 and 100 people from across the country and as far as Cape Town, Thaba Bolayi was inaugurated. However, when the map of the area was projected on the screen reflecting the inclusion of Klein Bolayi, everyone was flabbergasted because suddenly the map’s outer line of all the land as part of the greater Mapungubwe portrayed a rhinoceros with Thaba Bolayi forming the horn of the animal.
The shock from the people present at the meeting, made them realise that forming a rhinoceros with Thaba Bolayi included was destined to be – nobody planned the figure being portrayed on the map, it just manifested itself. The discovery of the miniature golden rhinoceros in 1942 and the figure on the map outlining a rhinoceros astonished everyone.
Apparently, a life-size version of the golden rhinoceros was also made and put at the stock exchange in New York, United States of America – seemingly people only saw the symbol of materialism in the gold portrayed by the statute but ignored the spiritual value of the discovery.
The realisation of the spiritual value seemingly indicated that the ancestors wanted the restoration of the Monomotapa kingdom.