Which technologies and farming methods spread with early Bantu settlement in Malawi?

As Bantu-speaking peoples settled in the Malawi region between the 1st and 4th centuries CE, they introduced significant technological and agricultural advancements. Key developments associated with this early expansion included:

• Ironworking: The mastery of metalworking, specifically ironworking, was a hallmark of these early Bantu-speaking communities.1
• Slash-and-burn cultivation: This method of agriculture, also known as shifting cultivation, was widely adopted as these settlement patterns spread across the region.1

These technologies and farming practices enabled the establishment of more stable, larger communities compared to the previous hunter-gatherer lifestyles. While the identity of these specific early inhabitants remains uncertain, their arrival marked a transition toward more intensive land use and the development of complex social and economic systems in the region.21