Prof. Karim Sadr's LiDAR Breakthrough Uncovers Kweneng

Imagine a vast pre-colonial city hidden beneath thick bushveld for centuries, its stone walls and homesteads invisible to the naked eye. That's exactly what Prof. Karim Sadr from the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg achieved when he deployed airborne LiDAR technology to map the ancient Tswana capital of Kweneng. Located in the Suikerbosrand Nature Reserve about 50 kilometres south of Johannesburg, this sprawling settlement challenges long-held assumptions about pre-colonial African urbanism.

The discovery has reignited interest in South Africa's rich archaeological heritage, highlighting how modern technology can rewrite history. Kweneng, occupied from the 15th century until the early 19th century, once housed thousands of people in a complex society built around cattle herding, agriculture, and trade. Recent buzz around the find, including a fresh spotlight in early 2026, underscores its enduring relevance to understanding Tswana culture and the rise of Iron Age capitals.

How LiDAR Transformed the Search for Kweneng

LiDAR, or Light Detection and Ranging, is a remote sensing method that uses laser pulses from aircraft or drones to measure distances to the Earth's surface. These pulses bounce back, creating a detailed 3D model that strips away vegetation, revealing hidden features like stone walls and terraces. For Kweneng, Prof. Sadr commissioned a specialized survey using a high-precision laser scanner mounted on a plane, covering the rugged Suikerbosrand hills.

Traditional ground surveys and aerial photos had only hinted at scattered ruins, but LiDAR exposed the full layout: a linear settlement nearly 10 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide, spanning roughly 20 square kilometres. Red dots on the LiDAR imagery mark hundreds of individual stone-walled structures, from homesteads to large cattle kraals. This step-by-step process—involving data collection, point cloud processing, and digital elevation models—allowed archaeologists to 'virtually excavate' the site without disturbing it.

The Tswana World: Capitals of the Highveld

Tswana-speaking peoples, part of the Sotho-Tswana group, built a network of stone-walled capitals across South Africa's Highveld from the 15th century. These 'dibatsela' or capitals were political, economic, and ritual centres, supporting populations through mixed farming, cattle herding, and long-distance trade in iron, copper, and beads. Kweneng fits this pattern, emerging around the 15th century and peaking in the 18th-early 19th centuries before abandonment during the Difaqane (Mfecane) wars of the 1820s, triggered by Zulu expansion and environmental stresses.

Sites like Kaditshwene and Molokwane show similar layouts with terraced fields, defensive walls, and elite residences. Kweneng's scale suggests a population of 5,000 to 20,000, organized in age regiments under a king (kgosi), with markets, feasts, and multi-level governance. Ash mounds indicate lavish communal feasting, symbolizing wealth and generosity.

Unveiling Kweneng's Layout and Features

The LiDAR map reveals a central core with two massive stone-walled enclosures—combined area nearly 10,000 square metres—likely kraals for up to 1,000 cattle, symbols of power. Parallel rock alignments guided cattle drives, while terraced fields maximized arable land on slopes. Short, squat towers (1.8-2.5m tall, 5m base) may have stored grain or marked burials. Around 750-900 homesteads, each with circular walls, courtyards, and entrances, cluster linearly along a dry river gully, suggesting planned urbanism.

Architectural variety includes Type N (northern-style) and Klipriviersberg types, with robbed walls from scavenged stone. This layout reflects social hierarchy: elite compounds near the centre, commoners on peripheries.

Prof. Karim Sadr: Pioneer at Wits University

Prof. Sadr, in Wits University's School of Geography, Archaeology and Environmental Studies, has dedicated decades to Highveld archaeology. Ground surveys in the 1980s-90s hinted at ruins, but vegetation obscured the big picture. Satellite imagery sparked interest, leading to LiDAR in 2016. His work, published in journals like the South African Archaeological Bulletin, classifies compounds and pushes for community collaboration, involving Bakwena descendants.

Sadr's approach integrates tech with oral histories, naming the site after Tswana input. At Wits, this research trains students in geospatial tools, bridging archaeology and higher education.

Why Kweneng Vanished from View

Thick acacia scrub and grass hid Kweneng from ground view and standard aerial photos. Early European travellers missed it amid chaos of 19th-century wars. Post-abandonment, walls crumbled, stones reused. Apartheid-era archaeology focused elsewhere, downplaying pre-colonial complexity. LiDAR pierced this veil, proving what oral traditions hinted: a major capital.

Abandonment likely from Difaqane raids, droughts, or rinderpest, forcing migration north.

Photo by Herlambang Tinasih Gusti on Unsplash

Social and Economic Life in Kweneng

Stone walls defined spaces for families, livestock, and rituals. Cattle kraals doubled as elite burials. Feasts at ash heaps fostered unity. Trade brought glass beads from India via Mapungubwe networks. Egalitarian yet hierarchical, with kgosi regulating resources. Women managed fields, men herded and smelted iron.

• Cattle as wealth and status symbols.
• Terracing for maize, sorghum on slopes.
• Regiments for defence, labour.

2026 GeoAI Advances at Kweneng

Building on Sadr's work, a 2026 study by MJ Siteleki et al. tested GeoAI (Geospatial Artificial Intelligence) tools like AutoML on Kweneng data. Machine learning identified stone walls with varying accuracy, aiding faster surveys in vegetated areas. This Wits-linked research promises scalable archaeology across SA's 20,000+ stone sites.GeoAI study details

Implications for South African Heritage

Kweneng rewrites narratives of 'empty' landscapes, proving sophisticated urbanism. It bolsters land claims by Bakwena, impacts mining/development in reserves. UCT's 2025 LiDAR project extends this to sites like Molokwane, decolonizing history.UCT LiDAR project

Engaging Communities and Future Digs

Sadr emphasizes descendant involvement; Bakwena ba Mogopa claim ties. Planned excavations target towers, kraals for dating, artefacts. Wits students lead ground-truthing LiDAR.

Comparisons to Great Zimbabwe and Mapungubwe

Unlike Zimbabwe's mortarless masonry, Kweneng's dry-stone walls echo Tswana style. Like Mapungubwe (gold trade hub), it shows Highveld connectivity. Larger than thought Mapela, highlighting regional networks.

LiDAR's Role in African Archaeology

From Mayan jungles to African bush, LiDAR democratizes discovery. In SA, it maps thousands of walls, revealing urban past. Challenges: cost, data processing, ethics.Wits on LiDAR at Kweneng

Photo by Herlambang Tinasih Gusti on Unsplash

Looking Ahead: Legacy of Kweneng

Kweneng inspires heritage tourism, education at Wits. As AI enhances LiDAR, more 'lost' cities await. It celebrates Tswana ingenuity, urging preservation amid urban sprawl.