Liz Timbs

Liz Timbs is an Assistant Professor of History at UNC Wilmington in Wilmington, North Carolina, USA. Her current book project, entitled The Regiments, reconstructs how Zulu amabutho (age-grades, regiments) shaped male youth socialization for the past two centuries in South Africa. By examining the institutions, material culture, and fundamental ideas related to amabutho, my study makes clear why white minority states, as well as chiefs and commoners, took steps that enabled the regiments to serve multiple interests and purposes, thereby ensuring their reproduction over the longue durée. Her work has appeared in the Journal of Southern Africa Studies, South African Historical Journal, and Journal of Natal and Zulu History. Her research has been funded by Fulbright (2016). She earned her PhD in History from Michigan State University in 2019. Timbs also serves as a contributing editor for the popular blog, Africa is a Country.