The zinc needed to make true brasses could come from trade to the east as mentioned in the book. Tin was exported from areas of southern Africa. It is also more than possible that zinc was traded by caravan like metals were across the Sahara, from the north? How long has zinc been used on Kaskara and Somali sword fittings. So even without firm archaeological evidance of zinc at smelting sites which does seem elusive in Sub Saharan African, Africa is a huge land mass and investigations into these questions are indeed recent endevours. To concluded that brass was therefore absent in southern Africa before European trade could be short sighted.
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