Research excavations on the Letaba Early Iron Age site (le6 and Le7)

Excavations on the Letaba Early Iron Age site (le6 and Le7) conducted between 2021 and 2024 (SAHRA case 15719), established site as a key research site in the archaeology of northeast South Africa. A conclusion of this research was the discovery that the site was well-integrated in early Indian Ocean World trade networks at an unexpectedly early date. This trade has important implications for understanding Early Iron Age interactions and trade on a regional scale. New research at Letaba will investigate the impact of this early international trade had on local communities. To do this, new archaeological research excavations is proposed to investigate trade patterns and how this link to social and economic organisation of the Letaba community. The site is located in the in the Letaba Section of the Kruger National Park along the S47 Road.