A recently published photographic book entitled Eighty-Five Years commemorates the work of the Mapungubwe Archive over eight decades, from 1933 until 2018.

The Mapungubwe Archive falls under the stewardship of UP and is the only depository in South Africa that identifies, collects and preserves records of archival value relating to the history of Mapungubwe, the excavated history of the Mapungubwe Collection, UP’s research role, and indirectly to Mapungubwe as a recognised National and World Heritage Site.

With 103 high-quality images selected from an incalculable number of historical photographs, this first-ever publication about the archive reflects the immense research and valuable contribution that UP continues to make on the subject of Mapungubwe, a contribution that has been complex, contested and multifaceted.

“It is evident that the historical record of institutional memory is increasingly becoming important to share in a rapidly expanding technological world,” says Prof Karen Harris, Head of the Department of Historical and Heritage Studies and Head of the UP Archives, in the book’s foreword. “This publication aims to share the human interaction, the hard work, dedication and diversity of the energies and synergies of the many, both individually and collectively, involved in Mapungubwe over more than eight decades.”

The book is sure to capture the imagination and attention of the scholar, the connoisseur and admirers of archives. For some, the visual narrative will change, convince and contest some preconceived ideas about UP; others will be introduced to the fascinating history of the university and its research on matters relating to Mapungubwe.

The publication of Eighty-Five Years is timeous, as the preservation efforts of the Mapungubwe Archive have recently been generously funded by the US Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation. Sian Tiley-Nel, Chief Curator of the Mapungubwe Collection who also Heads the Mapungubwe Archive, steers this partnership in association with US Embassy in Pretoria.

The publication will be available directly from the University of Pretoria Museums from 2019. To get a copy of the book, send an email to [email protected]