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Kenya: Nakuru; Hyrax Hill
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Taken from: Hyrax Hill - Fifty Years of Archaeological Research by Mwanzia Kyule
Overlying the Neolithic phase of Hyrax Hill, the Iron Age occupation is a settlement complex composed of two large stone enclosures, a hut circle, and two other small hut circles. The settlement complex had an associated cemetery with nine shallow burial pits that contained approximately 19 individuals. Except for a child's skeleton, the rest of the human remains examined were found to be those of young adult males. These appeared to have been buried unceremoniously, or in a hurry. Artifacts recovered from the excavations include iron materials, glass beads, cowrie shells, small hearths (with no hearthstones), and an assortment of decorated and undecorated potsherds.
There is no firm date for the Iron Age phase of Hyrax Hill, through smoking pipes, iron objects, pottery and beads suggest it is 15th century. The affinities and general appearance of the site such as the enclosures and the hut circles, also appear to be of Sirikwa derivation.
