those of his wives, with the great wife closest to his own. Closer to the entrance, the huts of the sons of the village were placed on the left side and the huts of the daughters of the village on the right. In each hut would be an umsamo, a special ritual area, with the most important umsamo located in the chief's hut. The huts nearest the entrance were used for guests and visitors. Additionally, there would be multiple watchtowers in the kraal. Ritual uses The umsamo within the chief's hut was an important site for communicating with ancestor spirits. Similarly, there would be a site on the cattle enclosure's west side for performance of rituals directed at ancestors. These rituals were usually carried out by the headman, an important ceremonial position in traditional Zulu society. Notes See also Animal pound References Further reading Potgieter, D. J. (ed.) (1972) Standard Encyclopedia of Southern Africa. Cape Town: Nasionale Opvoedkundige Uitgewery . Brockhaus Enzyklopädie. 21. Auflage. Mannheim: Brockhaus F.A., 2006 ; Volume 15. The New Encyclopædia Britannica. 15th ed. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2007 (Micropædia, Volume 6). Fortifications by type Human habitats Fences South African English Dutch words and phrases Afrikaans words and phrases Zulu words and phrases