GREAT

ZIMBABWE
By Emma, Renard, Milo, Damon, and Kairov
 Introduction
Great Zimbabwe is the name of an ancient
city located near modern-day Masvingo in
Zimbabwe. It is known for its impressive stone
structures and complex social and political
organization. The city was inhabited from the
11th century to the 15th century, and it rose to
power through control of trade routes and
access to gold. Despite its eventual decline,
Great Zimbabwe remains a fascinating
example of a complex and resilient society.
 Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe is the name of the
stone ruins of an ancient city near
modern-day Masvingo, Zimbabwe, existing
between the years 1100 to 1450. The ruins
of the city consists of evidence that
supports that the city was part of a large
and wealthy global trading network, along
with a large circular wall that was about
800 feet long, 32 feet tall, and 17 feet thick.
Evidence of being part of a large global
trading network include pottery samples
from China and Persia (now Iran), as well as
Arab coins in the ruins there. These
evidences showed that the Zimbabwe
Empire controlled trade up and down the
East African coast and into the middle
east.
 Ethnic Groups
Zimbabwe has many minor ethnic groups, but
there are a few major ones that make up most of the
population. 98% of Zimbabwe’s population is African. Of
those, there are 2 major groups that inhabit Zimbabwe.
The larger one is called Shona, and it makes up 82% of
the population in Zimbabwe. The other is called Ndebele
and makes up around 14% of the population.
Whites make up 1% of the non-African population.
Europeans are almost entirely either immigrants from
the UK, South Africa or their descendants who lived in
Zimbabwe for centuries. Those from South Africa
include a big number of South African Dutch descent.
There are small groups of Portuguese, Italians, and
other Europeans. Asians and peoples of mixed ancestry
make up the remaining 1% of the population .
 Government
Zimbabwean government was a
feudalistic monarchy similar to the
Victorian system, but men and
women had equal status, unlike the
Victorian system. There were three
tiers with royalty at the top and
peasantry at the bottom. The king
was the ultimate authority, above all
classes, and his orders were absolute,
no one defied him. The king was
selected according to tradition, with
an heir to the throne.
 Great Rulers of Zimbabwe
During the time that Great Zimbabwe was a thriving
civilization until the year 1450, there were multiple rulers.
It is unclear who was the first ruler of the Zimbabwe
Empire was, as there are no written records of this
monarchy. The kingdom was established by a
Bantu-speaking tribe: the Shona. However, there were
some famous renowned people in the kingdom of Great
Zimbabwe. One of them is Nyatsimba Mutota. Nyatsimba
Mutota was the son of Chikura Wadyembeau, who is a
semi-historical figure. Nyatsimba Mutota ruled from 1420
to 1450, and helped to expand the borders of the
Zimbabwe empire beyond its plateau into parts of
modern-day Mozambique by defeating the Tonga and
the Tavara with his army and established his dynasty at
Chitakonchangonya Hill. The land that he conquered
would soon become the kingdom of Mutapa.
 Zimbabwe’s Trade
Great Zimbabwe used their trade
routes, as they owned the trade
Gold >
routes for Southern Africa. They had a
lot of gold in the mines and therefore
Ivory they traded gold, as well as ivory.
v They mainly got ivory from receiving
it when trading. They also had a trade
network connected to Kilwa Kisiwani,
extending as far as China, over
10,000 km away.
 Culture
Social
1 Structure 2 Traditions
The social structure in the African Kingdom of The language spoken in Zimbabwe was
Zimbabwe had a rigid three-tiered structure, Shona, and the religion was a mix of
with royalty at the top, peasants at the bottom, traditional African beliefs and
and a middle class in between. The royalty Christianity brought by European
consisted of the king and his family, who were at missionaries. The people of Zimbabwe
the top of the social hierarchy and held all the were known for their artistic and
power. The middle class consisted of skilled architectural skills, and they built
craftsmen and traders, while the peasants were impressive structures out of stone. They
mostly farmers who worked the land and also had a rich musical and storytelling
provided food for the kingdom. Women were also tradition and valued community and
an important part of the social structure and communal living
had equal rights to men. The society was
patriarchal, but women still played a vital role in
the community.
 Culture
The culture of ancient Food was an essential part Music, dance, and
Zimbabwe was rich and of Zimbabwean culture, and storytelling were
diverse, and it reflected in their cuisine was influenced important parts of
their fashion, food, and by their agricultural Zimbabwean culture, and
cultural activities. The people practices. The staple food they used these art forms
of Zimbabwe had a unique was maize, and they also to pass on their traditions
sense of fashion, which was grew crops like millet, and history. They used
influenced by their sorghum, and beans. They various instruments like
environment and resources. also kept livestock like drums, mbiras, and horns
They used materials such as cattle and goats, which to create music, and they
animal skins, beads, and shells provided a source of meat expressed their emotions
to make clothing and and dairy products. They through dance. They also
accessories. They also used spices and herbs to had a rich tradition of oral
expressed their creativity add flavor to their dishes, storytelling, which
through intricate hairstyles and they drank a traditional included myths, legends,
and body art. beer made from fermented and folktales.
maize.
 How did Great Zimbabwe rise and
fall?
The trade routes were a key factor in the kingdom’s rise and it’s fall. The city originally grew
from some farmers and cattle herders which eventually grew to a larger town and the
power grew from how much it controlled the trade routes as well as its access to gold.
As for the kingdom’s fall, the trade routes became
insignificant compared to the trade routes in upper
Africa, and therefore they didn’t have anyone using
their trade routes. They also traded mainly gold and
ivory, but soon, there was an exhaustion in the gold
mines. There also became famines and water shortages
as a result of climate change, which caused the
kingdom to collapse even further. These three factors
caused the infrastructure of Great Zimbabwe to
crumble, and the kingdom fell.
How did other cultures affect
Zimbabwe and vice versa?
The empire of Zimbabwe affected other
cultures in many ways. They transported
goods like gold and ivory to other
countries, with this forging interactions
and spreading religions between cultures.
This could also work the other way, with
other cultures along the trade route
spreading their religions. Other cultures
could also affect Zimbabwe by moving into
it as was the case with Zimbabwe’s original
people, the Shona.
- Zimbabwe
MAP
- Portugal (Gold and slaves)

- Mapungubwe (Gold and ivory for artistic and

stone masonry)
- South Africa (Minerals for salt)

- Arabia (They traded for glass)

- Persia (They traded gold for

faience, which is tin=painted
pottery)
- China (For Chinese celadon,
which is pottery painted in jade
green)
 Resources
“Great Zimbabwe | World Civilization.” Lumen Learning,
www.courses.lumenlearning.com/suny-hccc-worldcivilization/chapter/great-zimbabwe/. Accessed 29
November 2023.

“Kingdom of Zimbabwe (1220-1450 AD).” Think Africa, 12 October 2018,

www.thinkafrica.net/zimbabwe/. Accessed 29 November 2023.

Mendoza, Terence. “Ethnic groups - Zimbabwe - area.” Encyclopedia of the Nations,

www.www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Africa/Zimbabwe-ETHNIC-GROUPS.html#google_vignette. Accessed 29
November 2023.

Scott, Christopher. “Great Zimbabwe Great Enclosure.” National Geographic Society,

www.education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/great-zimbabwe/. Accessed 29 November 2023.
 Thanks!
Do you have any
questions?

Emma Milo Damon Kairov

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