Gold individual nails or tacks

Gold nails or tacks from Mapungubwe Hill in South Africa were used to attach the sheets of gold foil to wooden carved forms. Nail shanks are predominantly tapered, rounded or rectangular in cross section and some are deformed (bent shanks) by the hammering process. The nails were produced by hammering a process of clear impact marks are visible on the worked head, the gold is then shaped into tapering shanks and small heads, cutting them individually from sheet gold. The total number of gold nails in the Mapungubwe Gold Collection is estimated at about 1 502. Originating from the archaeological site of Mapungubwe Hill, grave area dating from CE 1250 to CE 1290. The archaeological landscape of Mapungubwe in South Africa was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003. The Mapungubwe Collection is stewarded under the University of Pretoria where the archaeological collection is on public exhibition for the purposes of research and education.