The 9,800-foot-tall mountain has long been considered sacred in the Malawi tradition. For archaeologist Menno Welling -- who is fighting to get it UNESCO World Heritage status -- the site is special for the secrets it holds. Excavations have uncovered pieces that span the last two millennia, giving insight into the variety of populations that lived in Malawi over the years, from the 19th century Lolo settlers to the Swahili coast slave traders.
The 9,800-foot-tall mountain has long been considered sacred in the Malawi tradition. For archaeologist Menno Welling -- who is fighting to get it UNESCO World Heritage status -- the site is special for the secrets it holds. Excavations have uncovered pieces that span the last two millennia, giving insight into the variety of populations that lived in Malawi over the years, from the 19th century Lolo settlers to the Swahili coast slave traders.
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Sir Harry Johnston was made the first commissioner of Malawi (then Nyasaland) when it became a British protectorate in the 19th century. He was opposed to the slave trade and built Fort Lister in 1893 to help suppress it, notes Archaeologist Menno Welling, who has studied Mount Mulanje for a decade.
Sir Harry Johnston was made the first commissioner of Malawi (then Nyasaland) when it became a British protectorate in the 19th century. He was opposed to the slave trade and built Fort Lister in 1893 to help suppress it, notes Archaeologist Menno Welling, who has studied Mount Mulanje for a decade.
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Dziwa La Nkhambala translates as "pool of the elders." Up until the 19th century, the area was a place of sacrifice. Excavations have uncovered iron implements and white and blue beads, which represented fertility at the time. The practice stopped during British rule in the 1900s, when settlers used the pool as a place for recreations.
Dziwa La Nkhambala translates as "pool of the elders." Up until the 19th century, the area was a place of sacrifice. Excavations have uncovered iron implements and white and blue beads, which represented fertility at the time. The practice stopped during British rule in the 1900s, when settlers used the pool as a place for recreations.
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Malawi's Chongoni Forest houses an exceptional UNESCO heritage site -- rock paintings that date back to the 5th century. Unfortunately, according to Moses Mkumpha, Malawi's sole conservationist, the site is currently at risk from graffiti and fires regularly lit by local cattle herders. <br />"Every time we clean it we remove part of the pigment," he notes. He is currently working to educate local school children of the value of these sites to help preserve them for longer.
Malawi's Chongoni Forest houses an exceptional UNESCO heritage site -- rock paintings that date back to the 5th century. Unfortunately, according to Moses Mkumpha, Malawi's sole conservationist, the site is currently at risk from graffiti and fires regularly lit by local cattle herders.
"Every time we clean it we remove part of the pigment," he notes. He is currently working to educate local school children of the value of these sites to help preserve them for longer.