Carthaginians in South Africa book?

[galanx]

Since I'm trying to remember books today, did anybody read a book set in Rhodesia where the hero is an archaeologist who discovers the remnants of a Carthaginian civilization centered in Southern Africa? Fled the Romans, followed the old Phoenician sea routes to the Cape- I believe the Zimbabwe ruins were involved, either as remnants or copy-cat; black Africans being incapable of building something like that themselves.

The whole thing was a pretty heavy-handed analogy-it kept jumping back and forth from the present to the era where the neo-Carthaginians were being overwhelmed by the Bantus migrating from the north and civilization was about to be destroyed.

Can't find it , as I don't remember author or title- would have been written in the early 70s?

 

[HARRY]

I think this is it "The Sunbird" by Wilbur Smith. http://www.wilbursmithbooks.com/novels/the_sunbird.html

 

[Dave Howery]

I read the Readers Digest condensed version years ago... the main thing I remember in it was the main native enemy leader of each time had some birth defect on their feet that made their footprints look like bird claws, and that the valley the refugees settled in was home to some giant lion species....

 

[Michael B]

I read the Readers Digest condensed version years ago... the main thing I remember in it was the main native enemy leader of each time had some birth defect on their feet that made their footprints look like bird claws, and that the valley the refugees settled in was home to some giant lion species....

The other three main characters also have analogs in each time period. Well written and a lot better than his Egyptian tripe.

 

[Tony Williams]

I remember that book. I read a library copy and enjoyed it so much that I bought a paperback version after reading it.

 

[Calgacus]

Yeah, it's a good book, despite its dodgy racial provenance....