Watch Prof Yusuf Juwayeyi at The Culture Lab on archaeology and the Chewa

We had an exciting first event at The Culture Lab, in collaboration with Mizu Live, Qoncept Creative and Kweza Arts, with Professor Yusuf Juwayeyi who discussed archaeology and oral tradition in Malawi. He dispelled myths about the Chewa, educated and engaged with wit about discoveries made and stories told.

Prof Juwayeyi told stories about discoveries made through archaeological digs in Malawi and what they tell us about the Chewa. He explained the journey he and others went on to find Mankhamba – the Chewa’s headquarters. There they found copper wire and copper artefacts, including 79 smoking pipes. He quipped that it could not have been tobacco which was an American crop. 

Discoveries made a Mankhamba also revealed that the Chewa were involved in the ivory trade and trading with Chinese. Prof Juwayeyi said they found 38,663 bones and 4,000 were elephants bones. Chinese porcelain found and examined was dated between 1540 and 1600 AD. This means that by 1600 AD, Kalonga, the Chewa King, was trading with the Chinese.

You can view some of the talk online here.

Logos Open Culture Direct Muti Etter-Phoya also spent some time explaining our exciting vision for storytelling, heritage and culture in Malawi.

You can purchase a copy of Pro Juwayeyi’s book Archaeology and Oral Tradition in Malawi: Origins and Early History of the Chewa (Boydell & Brewer, 2020) at the Chambo Market for MWK 25,000. It’s available outside of Malawi for purchase here.