Great Zimbabwe

 

    Great Zimbabwe is generally described as, “one of the most dramatic architectural landscapes in sub-Saharan Africa.” (Smarthistory.org) The word Zimbabwe translates from the Bantu language of the Shona to two different possible meanings. It either translates to either,” judicial center” or “ruler’s court or house.” Aside from being the monumental architecture of ancient Egypt, it also is the largest stone complex in Africa built before the modern era. The capital of Zimbabwe is only a four-hour drive from the ruins that remain, constructed between the 11th and 15th century. From what we know, clay structures and excavations have displayed interior furnishings such as pot-stands, elevated sleeping surfaces and seating surfaces. Other findings indicate upwards of royal houses built in clay, estimating an inhabitant population of about 20,000 people.

               

https://smarthistory.org/great-zimbabwe/


https://smarthistory.org/great-zimbabwe/

                '

    The great stone construction of Great Zimbabwe can be broken down into three areas. The hill ruin, the Great Enclosure, and the Valley Ruins. Built in the year 1250 the Hill Ruin incorporates a cave that remains a sacred site until this day. The Hill ruin wall structure reaches 30-feet high with cylindrical towers, decorated with brilliant geometric patterns. Proceeding the Hill Ruin, built in the year 1450 was the great enclosure. In relation to the Hill Ruin, it too is a walled structure with turrets and monoliths. The outer wall hear reaches up to 32 feet in the air. The inside walls of the Great Enclosure have a tight passageway leading to large towers. One belief was that religious ritual practices took place here. The third area is the Valley Ruins, and it includes a numerous amount of structures. The site was believed to be served as a hub for commercial exchange and long-distance trade. Archeologist found remains that come from areas such as China and southeast Asia.

                All of the walls of Great Zimbabwe were built from granite hewn locally. Some say the walls were built as a defensive mechanism, and others believe they had no military function of the sort. Many sections of the wall have arcs and openings that would generally defeat the purpose of defense, along with the fact the it was built with no mortar. Regardless of its purpose, these structures symbolize and represent the power and prestige of the rulers and people of Great Zimbabwe.

 

Ø  Dr. Nancy Demerdash, "Great Zimbabwe," in Smarthistory, October 8, 2016, accessed November 6, 2020, https://smarthistory.org/great-zimbabwe/.

Comments

  1. A lexNovember 6, 2020 at 8:27 PM

    I’d like to know more about the culture that inhabited the complex there. Did you see anything about it in your research? The construction of this city was not all that long ago, and it seems like it was created by a prosperous civilization. I wonder what caused it to decline, while I know it’s difficult for a government to remain in power for that long city centers seem like they outlast those governments.

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  2. David FloresNovember 8, 2020 at 1:57 PM

    I liked how simple this post was, you explained what Zimbabwe was in a simple and organized way. I also thought it was interesting what the word Zimbabwe meant I didn't know it meant "judicial center", "rulers court" or "house" I thought that was very cool.

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