EXPLORING THE MUNSA EARTHWORKS

Have you ever wondered or imagined why some places are considered more special than others? If you are a cultural enthusiast and you are looking for the most exceptional sites to pay a visit in Uganda then look no further than Munsa Earthworks. The site is located approximately 3 kilometers north of Kakumiro Trading Center in Kibale district. It was named after the legendary King ‘Kateboha’ the renowned Bachwezi leader of the area. The valuable feature at the site is the rock which measures about two (2) meters deep which is also famous as the Kateboha’s beer pot. It is very significant since the Munsa Earthworks have become the most active shrine in the Bachwezi cult and several people visit this site for healing and divine worshiping. The area features signs of the early pottery for the Stone Age period where archeologists have excavated pieces of pots and other small pieces which date millions of years.

Unlike the usual fortresses, the Munsa Earthworks aren’t fortresses as such but rather than constructing high walls they utilized some of the granite boulders to establish a fortress. The Munsa Earthworks feature among the oldest fortress and the boulders were used as a combined shelter living quarter and lookout. Within the boulders a deep ditch was dug just like moat making it very challenging for water to fill it that even no attack was possible to be mounted on the fortress and it is of no doubt that the site features as the second largest in Uganda. The earthworks comprise of a system ditches at the center where the rocky hill Bikegete is found. The excavation of the 2 test pits in this site in 1994 featured the 90 cm stratified deposits with artifacts and poorly kept bones. The Bikegete summit was the scene of several activities most of which include the iron working, burial of the dead and some settlement. There are also numerous features, activities and other items like glass beads and the predominance of cattle bones which suggest that this site was reserved for ritual, economic and craft activities which were done by a group of elites probably acting on behalf of the wider community.

In conclusion, the Munsa Earthworks feature among the most incredible fortification sites in the Bunyoro regions and for visitors on safari to Kibale or western Uganda, this should be one of a must for you to make a stopover.