Kweneng’ ruins are the remains of a pre-colonial Tswana capital occupied from the 14th to the 19th century AD in South Africa.

Kweneng' was the largest of several sizable settlements inhabited by Tswana speakers prior to European arrival.

It is likely that Kweneng' was abandoned in the 1820s during the period of colonial expansion-related civil wars known as the Mfecane or Difaqane, leading to the dispersal of its inhabitants.

The Ventersdorp system consists of steep mountain sides, flat plains and volcanic soil, which is very fertile.

[5] The Sotho-Tswana, a group of Bantu speakers who still live in Lesotho, Botswana and South Africa, occupied large and densely populated settlements that were impressive to the first Europeans who first visited them.

[4]The slave trade in Delagoa Bay, and colonial expansion in the south and east likely led to the abandonment of Kweneng’ and other Sotho-Tswana capitals.

Archeologists have found homes destroyed by fire with valuable items such as weapons and beads left behind, suggesting a hasty abandonment.

[1] Kweneng' has been difficult to identify from an aerial view due to the dense vegetation covering the ruins.

Sadr, in collaboration with scholars at many other research institutes, used Google Earth satellite imagery to map out the territory in 2012-2014.

By using the LiDAR survey, Sadr discovered that most of the southern portion of Kweneng' was covered with vegetation while the northern section was more exposed.

The LiDAR survey revealed more walls in the southern portion than were previously shown by Google Earth and aerial photography.

[3] Between 800 and 900 compounds have been found at Kweneng’, leading to an estimated population between 5000 and 10,000 people at the peak of habitation in the early 19th century.

These stones formed houses for the civilians, fences for the cattle and a protective barrier around the city.

Tswana people engaged in many artistic activities such as beadwork, basket weaving, wood working, dancing, and singing.