ISigcinamagugu se- Classical Archaeology sibekwe emabaleni oMnyango Wezakudala ekhempasini yase-Howard College. Sine qoqo elihlanganisa iminyaka engaphezu kwezi-3000 ngokuqoqa imifaniso/izingcezu ezivela e-Egypt, e-Greece nase-Roma kuyo. Izingcezu zisukela eqoqweni elincane le-numismatics, kuya kwizinto zansuku zonke ezifana nezibani zikawoyela, kuya ezincezwini ezinkulu ezifana njenge- fragmented Amphora eyayenzelwe lowo owayependa ama-vase owayaziwa ngele-Princeton Painter. ISigcinamagugu sisetshenziswa njengendawo yokufundisa kanye nesikhungo socwaningo ngesikhathi esifanayo.

Owayengumlondolozi weSigcinamagugu kanye neLek’shara e-UKZN lezifundo zezasemandulo (Classics) uDkt Adrian Ryan uthe, ‘Uma uvakashela iSigcinamagugu bese uMlondolozi wakwiSigcinamagugu ekutshela ukuthi uzokwazi ukubamba into/imifanekiso eyayibazwe yenziwa futhi yalolongwa ngumuntu wakudala, lokhu kuphenduka kube yisona sodwa isixhumanisi wena njengesivakashi ozoba naso esiphakathi kwakho nomenzi waleyonto osuke uyibambile. Lapha-ke kumele uthathe ngamehlo engqondo, bese ucabanga ngalomuntu owaphila emakhulwini eminyaka eminingi eyadlula, uhlobo lwempilo ababeyiphila, nanokuthi babenqoba kanjani ezimeni zangaleso sikhathi …konke lokhu kukwenza ukwazise ukubaluleka kwale mifanekiso engokomlando.’

U-Ryan usikhumbuze ukuthi into yokuqala eyatholwa yiSigcinamagugu kwakuyinkomishi yokuphuza yesizwe samaGriki ngezinkathi zokuphela kwekhulu leminyaka lesithupha (6th century). Ekuqaleni kweminyaka yama-80, Lowo owayenguMlondolozi kanye nomgcini owayengungoti weSigcinamagugu ngaleso sikhathi uSolwazi u-Anne Mackay, watholela lesi sikhungo izinhlobonhlobo zemifanekiso/zezinto zobuciko ikakhulukazi izitsha zamaGriki ezizogcinwa kwiSgcinamagugu. Lokhu kwabonisa ubungcweti bakhe maqondana nezitsha zobumba zesizwe samaGriki.

U-Ryan wayesebenzisa ubufakazi obuphathekayo obuvela kulesi sigcinamagugu ukuze agcwalise kahle inkulumo yakhe uma efundisa ikilasi lakhe. Abafundi bezifundo zezaseMandulo(Classics) bavamise ukuba yingxenye yemihlangan yokaucobelelana ngolwazi mayelana nezinto ezifana ne-material culture kanye nama-archaeological tools agcinwe kulesi sikhungo.

UDkt Samantha Masters kanye noDkt Jessica Nitschke, bobabili babuya eNyuvesi yase-Stellenbosch, baqhuba imihlangano yokucobelelana ngolwazi yabafundi asebeqhuba iziqu eMnyangweni Wezakudala ukuze bakwazi ukubethula ekukwazini ukucubulungula imininingwane ngemifanekiso yezobuciko ehlukahlukene kanye nokubajwayelanisa kangcono nezingcezu/nemifanekiso ye-Classics Museum.

‘Lezi zinkundla zokucobelelana ngolwazi zibalulekile kubafundi ngoba zibafundisa nge-archaeology kanye nokusebenzisa izinto zokwakha kabusha izinto eziyigugu zesikhathi esedlule. Sikhethe i-UKZN ngoba ineqoqo lezinto zakudala ezimbalwa ezisasele nezisakumbukiso eNingizimu Afrika futhi inezinhlobonhlobo zezinto zobuciko,’ kusho u-Masters. ‘Sithemba ukuthi iNyuvesi ihlezi izibophezele ekunakekeleni nasekuboniseni leli qoqo lemibukiso, njengoba lisondeza abafundi kanye nomphakathi ezweni lasendulo.’

Ukwengeza kwingxenye ye njulalwazi, eyayikhuluma ngezinhlobo ezihlukahlukene zezinto zobuciko ezifana namavazi, izithombe eziqoshiwe, izinhlamvu zemali noma izibani; izinto ezazenziwa ngazo; izindlela abazwe/adalwe ngazo kanye nokulandelana kwazo, abafundi baphinde babambe iqhaza kwiseshini yokuzibambela mathupha lapho befunda ukuphatha, ukulinganisa, ukudweba kanye nekhathalogi yento ngayinye.

ISigcinamagugu sinekhabethe elincane lokubukisa, eliqanjwe ngokufanelekile ngokuthi Iqoqo Lomthetho futhi linempahla yobuciko eyigugu, evela kulowo owayenikele ngesihle, nongasekho emhlabeni uNkz Joan Law, owenza iminikelo kusigcinamagugu eminyakeni edlule.

U-Ryan uthe uNksz Law usebe ‘ ngohamba phambili ngokushiya iminikelo nangemali imbala eminyakeni eminingi futhi ngosizo lwakhe nje eyedwa vo, lesi Sigcinamagugu sikwazile ukuthi sithole imifanekiso kanye nezingcezu zaso’.

Uhlu lwezinto zobuciko ezitholiwe luhlanganisa: ukukhethwa kwezinhlamvu zemali zama-Roma ezinhlanu, idiploma yezamasosha yase-Roma eyenziwe ngethusi, kanye nezingcezu ezimbili ze-anthropoid Egyptian sarcophagi – nokuwucezu lokhuni olupendwe nge-hieroglyphics kulo kanye ne- fragment of cartonnage.

Ekhuluma ngokubaluleka kwamaqoqo omlando kwiSigcinamagugu, u-Ryan uthe: ‘ngaphandle kokungabaza, izingcezu kanye neqoqo lemifanekiso ka-Law iyintandokazi yami – ekugcineni bengizikhethela mina ngokwami.’ Nakuba zinesizotha uma ziqhathaniswa nezinye zezinto zobuciko e-Cairo nase-Antikensammlungen, esethu isikhungo seSigcinamagugu siphinde sibe yindawo yokufundisa, futhi izindaba ezimnandi ezixoxwa yilezi zingcezu kanye nemifanekiso zizenza ukuthi zibe ngamathuluzi awusizo okwenezela kanye nokuletha impilo emlandweni kanye nasemasikweni ezinto eseziphucuzekile manje esifunda ngazo.

‘Igama lika-Law kanye namava akhe azoqhubeka ngokubonakala kwazise leli khabethe elinezingcezu kanye neqoqo lakhe likumbukiso ngaphakathi kulesi sikhungo futhi kwazise zazinikelwe nguye ekhombisa umusa, futhi ngiyethemba ukuthi zizoqhubeka zisetshenziselwe injongo ebezihloselwe yona. – okungukwazisa, ukujabulisa, kanye nokusiza ekuvutheleni intshisekelo kubafundi abasha ngezwe lasendulo, ukuze ukufunda kwabo kuqhubeke e-UKZN,’ kusho uRyan.

Inqwaba yezinto kanye nemifanekiso engeziwe evela ku-Joan Law, i-Durban Art Museum, kanye namanye amaqoqo, zisatholakala kwiSigcinamagugu sase-UKZN.

Ukuvakashela lesi Sigcinamagugu kungahlelwa ngaphambi kosuku lohambo.