The ongoing Frame project challenges colonial narratives, showcasing artefacts that reclaim women's pivotal roles and ancient practices.
**Reviving Ancient Knowledge: Zambia’s Sona Writing System and Cultural Heritage**
**Reviving Ancient Knowledge: Zambia’s Sona Writing System and Cultural Heritage**
A project highlighting Zambia's forgotten writing system sheds light on women's historical contributions to knowledge.
The recent resurgence of interest in a unique writing system known as Sona from Zambia is reshaping how people perceive African history. The Sona script, an intricate method of communication used by women from the Chokwe, Luchazi, and Luvale communities, challenges prevailing myths suggesting that African societies lacked literacy. Samba Yonga, co-founder of the Women's History Museum of Zambia, emphasizes how this ancient knowledge has been overshadowed by colonial narratives that dismissed Africa's rich intellectual heritage. The project aims to revive interest in pre-colonial cultures by posting 50 significant artefacts on social media, along with their historical contexts and functions.
Yonga reflects on the systemic erasure of women's influential roles in society, stating, "Our heritage has been disrupted and obscured," and highlights a growing movement to reconnect with cultural roots through exploration of fashion, music, and academia. Featured within the artefacts are treasures such as intricately designed leather cloaks and wooden hunting toolboxes, artifacts that signify a vibrant history largely forgotten. The Frame project, initially sparked during a visit to a Swedish museum, reveals a vast collection of around 650 Zambian artefacts acquired by Swedish explorers in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Among the artefacts is the remarkable Sona writing system, which consists of geometric patterns and symbols that contain teachings on mathematics, the cosmos, and community life—information primarily transmitted by women. The coverage on social media has ignited excitement and curiosity among viewers, with many expressing disbelief at the revelations of this historical literacy. For instance, a seemingly mundane grinding stone belonging to a woman from the Tonga community is rediscovered as a powerful symbol of female empowerment, illustrating how women’s contributions to food security were honored posthumously.
The Women's History Museum of Zambia, established in 2016, seeks to document women's histories while creating an online archive of cultural items removed from the country over the years. In doing so, it hopes to create a more comprehensive understanding of Zambia's cultural and social history—a journey Yonga describes as a unique treasure hunt. As more people engage with these revitalized narratives, there lies potential for a broader recognition of women’s vital roles in shaping communities and understanding the environment, ultimately paving the way for a more informed and inclusive view of African heritage.
Yonga reflects on the systemic erasure of women's influential roles in society, stating, "Our heritage has been disrupted and obscured," and highlights a growing movement to reconnect with cultural roots through exploration of fashion, music, and academia. Featured within the artefacts are treasures such as intricately designed leather cloaks and wooden hunting toolboxes, artifacts that signify a vibrant history largely forgotten. The Frame project, initially sparked during a visit to a Swedish museum, reveals a vast collection of around 650 Zambian artefacts acquired by Swedish explorers in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Among the artefacts is the remarkable Sona writing system, which consists of geometric patterns and symbols that contain teachings on mathematics, the cosmos, and community life—information primarily transmitted by women. The coverage on social media has ignited excitement and curiosity among viewers, with many expressing disbelief at the revelations of this historical literacy. For instance, a seemingly mundane grinding stone belonging to a woman from the Tonga community is rediscovered as a powerful symbol of female empowerment, illustrating how women’s contributions to food security were honored posthumously.
The Women's History Museum of Zambia, established in 2016, seeks to document women's histories while creating an online archive of cultural items removed from the country over the years. In doing so, it hopes to create a more comprehensive understanding of Zambia's cultural and social history—a journey Yonga describes as a unique treasure hunt. As more people engage with these revitalized narratives, there lies potential for a broader recognition of women’s vital roles in shaping communities and understanding the environment, ultimately paving the way for a more informed and inclusive view of African heritage.
