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Local News|
Wednesday, January 26, 2005 - Web posted at 7:23:26 GMT Century-old weapons unearthed ABSALOM SHIGWEDHAWORKERS digging the foundation of the new Roads Contractor Company headquarters in the capital on Monday excavated hundreds of rusted weapons believed to have been used in the 1900s. |
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The new RCC office is being constructed next to the Ministry of Works, Transport and Communication headquarters. Fousy Kambombo, Technical Assistant in the Archaeology Department at the National Museum of Namibia, said it was believed that the weapons were used in the German-Herero and Nama wars in the early 1900s. Thousands of Herero and Nama-speaking Namibians were killed in clashes with the German colonial soldiers between 1904 - 1908. Kambombo said the National Museum was notified of the find immediately and went to check if the discovery was of any historical importance. The weapons found included Martini-Henry rifles of different models, double-barrel shot-guns, Mausers and flintlocks. Also found at the site were ox-wagon wheels and axes. Archaeologist Peter Reiner said the rifles could be as old as 100 years. He believed that the location where they were found was a dumping site and that the arms were probably confiscated from the Hereros and Namas during the colonial war. The National Museum has retained some of the guns for historical purposes. |
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