diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2cb3704..7ae8ca1 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 ## [Unreleased]
-* no unreleased changes *
+### Added
+* Column zipping functionality *
 
 ## 11.2.1 / 2024-11-18
 ### Fixed
diff --git a/docs/yaml-mapping-user-guide.md b/docs/yaml-mapping-user-guide.md
index e54aa7b..ccf5d10 100644
--- a/docs/yaml-mapping-user-guide.md
+++ b/docs/yaml-mapping-user-guide.md
@@ -13,3 +13,4 @@ add_to_nav: true
 6. [Non Tabular Mappings](non-tabular-mappings.md)
 7. [Date Formats](date-formats.md)
 8. [XML mappings](xml-mappings.md)
+9. [Zipped Field Mapping](priority-field-mapping.md)
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/docs/zipped-field-mapping.md b/docs/zipped-field-mapping.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..30b201b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/zipped-field-mapping.md
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+---
+layout: page
+title: Zipped Field Mapping
+permalink: /zipped-field-mapping/
+---
+
+Multiple incoming columns can be mapped to a single field, zipping array values (split from strings) together.
+
+The mapper will identify  all the columns that have been mapped to a given `field`, with their `zip_order` and `split_char`. It will then take the string value for each of these and split them using the given `split_char`, resulting in an array of arrays.
+
+Then using the `zip_order`, it'll take the first array and zip in the remaining arrays in their `zip_order`
+
+Example mapping:
+
+---
+    - column: title
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 1
+        split_char: ","
+    - column: value
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 2
+
+Example data:
+
+```
+"title","value"
+"species,colour,legs","dog,brown,4"
+```
+
+This would result in:
+
+```
+{ "zipped_field"=>[["species", "dog"], ["colour", "brown"], ["legs", "4"]],
+   :rawtext=>{"title"=>"species,colour,legs", "value"=>"dog,brown,4"}}
+```
+
+Reversing the `zip_order` in the mapping would result in:
+```
+{ "zipped_field"=>[["dog", "species"], ["brown", "colour"], ["4", "legs"]],
+   :rawtext=>{"title"=>"species,colour,legs", "value"=>"dog,brown,4"}}
+```
+
diff --git a/lib/ndr_import/mapper.rb b/lib/ndr_import/mapper.rb
index bec7ac4..a2be28e 100644
--- a/lib/ndr_import/mapper.rb
+++ b/lib/ndr_import/mapper.rb
@@ -30,6 +30,8 @@ module Strings
     STANDARD_MAPPING = 'standard_mapping'.freeze
     UNPACK_PATTERN   = 'unpack_pattern'.freeze
     VALIDATES        = 'validates'.freeze
+    ZIP_ORDER        = 'zip_order'.freeze
+    SPLIT_CHAR       = 'split_char'.freeze
   end
 
   private
@@ -119,9 +121,10 @@ def mapped_line(line, line_mappings)
       rawtext[rawtext_column_name] = raw_value
 
       next unless column_mapping.key?(Strings::MAPPINGS)
+
       column_mapping[Strings::MAPPINGS].each do |field_mapping|
         # create a duplicate of the raw value we can manipulate
-        original_value = raw_value ? raw_value.dup : nil
+        original_value = raw_value&.dup
 
         replace_before_mapping(original_value, field_mapping)
         value = mapped_value(original_value, field_mapping)
@@ -137,7 +140,8 @@ def mapped_line(line, line_mappings)
 
         data[field] ||= {}
         data[field][:values] ||= [] # "better" values come earlier
-        data[field][:compact]  = true unless data[field].key?(:compact)
+        data[field][:zipped_values] ||= []
+        data[field][:compact] = true unless data[field].key?(:compact)
 
         if field_mapping[Strings::ORDER]
           data[field][:join] ||= field_mapping[Strings::JOIN]
@@ -148,6 +152,9 @@ def mapped_line(line, line_mappings)
           data[field][:values][field_mapping[Strings::ORDER] - 1] = value
         elsif field_mapping[Strings::PRIORITY]
           data[field][:values][field_mapping[Strings::PRIORITY]] = value
+        elsif field_zippable?(field_mapping, data[field])
+          data[field][:split_char] ||= field_mapping[Strings::SPLIT_CHAR]
+          data[field][:zipped_values][field_mapping[Strings::ZIP_ORDER] - 1] = value
         else
           data[field][:values].unshift(value) # new "best" value
         end
@@ -160,6 +167,7 @@ def mapped_line(line, line_mappings)
     # and one to many, for cross-populating
     data.each do |field, field_data|
       values = field_data[:values]
+      zipped_values = field_data[:zipped_values]
 
       attributes[field] =
         if field_data.key?(:join)
@@ -167,6 +175,9 @@ def mapped_line(line, line_mappings)
           values = values.map(&:presence)
           values.compact! if field_data[:compact]
           values.join(field_data[:join])
+        elsif zipped_values.present?
+          values = zipped_values.map { |value| value.split(field_data[:split_char]) }
+          values.first.zip(*values[1..])
         else
           values.detect(&:present?)
         end
@@ -176,6 +187,12 @@ def mapped_line(line, line_mappings)
     attributes
   end
 
+  def field_zippable?(field_mapping, data_field)
+    return false if field_mapping[Strings::ZIP_ORDER].blank?
+
+    data_field[:split_char].present? || field_mapping[Strings::SPLIT_CHAR].present?
+  end
+
   def mapped_value(original_value, field_mapping)
     if field_mapping.include?(Strings::FORMAT)
       begin
diff --git a/test/mapper_test.rb b/test/mapper_test.rb
index 7604376..edfec1d 100644
--- a/test/mapper_test.rb
+++ b/test/mapper_test.rb
@@ -61,6 +61,37 @@ def setup
         order: 2
   YML
 
+  zip_mapping = YAML.safe_load <<-YML
+    - column: zip_column1
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 1
+        split_char: ","
+    - column: zip_column2
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 2
+    - column: zip_column3
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 3
+  YML
+
+  zip_mapping_without_split_char = YAML.safe_load <<-YML
+    - column: zip_column1
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 1
+    - column: zip_column2
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 2
+    - column: zip_column3
+      mappings:
+      - field: zipped_field
+        zip_order: 3
+  YML
+
   unused_mapping = [{ 'column' => 'extra', 'rawtext_name' => 'extra' }]
 
   cross_populate_mapping = YAML.load <<-YML
@@ -423,6 +454,30 @@ def setup
     assert_equal 'Elizabeth', line_hash[:rawtext]['forename2']
   end
 
+  test 'line mapping should create valid hash with zipped fields' do
+    test_line = ['hello1,hello2,hello3', 'world1,world2,world3', 'suffix1,suffix2,suffix3']
+    line_hash = TestMapper.new.mapped_line(test_line, zip_mapping)
+
+    expected_mapped_value = [
+      %w[hello1 world1 suffix1], %w[hello2 world2 suffix2], %w[hello3 world3 suffix3]
+    ]
+
+    assert_equal expected_mapped_value, line_hash['zipped_field']
+    assert_equal 'hello1,hello2,hello3', line_hash[:rawtext]['zip_column1']
+    assert_equal 'world1,world2,world3', line_hash[:rawtext]['zip_column2']
+    assert_equal 'suffix1,suffix2,suffix3', line_hash[:rawtext]['zip_column3']
+  end
+
+  test 'line mapping should not attempt to zip fields without a split_char' do
+    test_line = ['hello1,hello2,hello3', 'world1,world2,world3', 'suffix1,suffix2,suffix3']
+    line_hash = TestMapper.new.mapped_line(test_line, zip_mapping_without_split_char)
+
+    assert_equal 'suffix1,suffix2,suffix3', line_hash['zipped_field']
+    assert_equal 'hello1,hello2,hello3', line_hash[:rawtext]['zip_column1']
+    assert_equal 'world1,world2,world3', line_hash[:rawtext]['zip_column2']
+    assert_equal 'suffix1,suffix2,suffix3', line_hash[:rawtext]['zip_column3']
+  end
+
   test 'line mapping should create valid hash with rawtext only' do
     line_hash = TestMapper.new.mapped_line(['otherinfo'], unused_mapping)
     assert_equal 1, line_hash.length