The area of southern Africa between the Zambezi and Limpopo Rivers, modern-day Zimbabwe, has, according to archeological records, been a scene of human settlement and commerce since before 1000 AD. The earliest settlers of this region are believed to have been the San, or Bushmen, who migrated into the region from the Kalahari Desert over 2,000 years ago. From the level of genetic diversity in the surviving populations, they are thought to be the oldest human population on earth. Nomadic hunters and gatherers who lived in social units of small hunting bands, the San were supplanted in this region initially by pastoral people who are the ancestors of the modern-day Shona tribe, the dominant ethnic group in Zimbabwe.
The Shona are believed to be Bantu-speakers who migrated into the area from the north at the end of the second century AD. These cattle herding tribes either absorbed the San into their cattle herding and farming culture or forced them to move out of the area. The Shona were also traders, establishing a trading center at Mapungubwe on the banks of the Limpopo to trade ivory, gold, and other commodities with Swahili traders from the Mozambique coast and working the gold seams that run along the ridge lines before 1000 AD.
The ruler of Mapungubwe separated his dwelling from the rest of his people around 1075, establishing a castle on the top of a sandstone hill overlooking the plain. This is believed to mark the beginning of construction of a series of imposing stone cities, the most imposing of which is Great Zimbabwe, located near the town of Masvingo, some three hours drive south of the current capital, Harare.
From the 11th century until the 15th century, the Shona kingdom was one of the wealthiest and most powerful societies in southern Africa, and Great Zimbabwe, a city complex with a population of 10,000 to 20,000, was its political and religious center. Constructed from granite, using sophisticated stone-cutting and construction techniques, Great Zimbabwe has perplexed historians and researchers since it was rediscovered in the early twentieth century. Until 1905, when archeological research proved that the stone ruins were of Bantu origin, early European settlers refused to accept that the Bantu-speaking people were the architects of the stone structures, and denied their significance, while the indigenous people promote it as a sacred symbol of their culture and believe that the spirits of their ancestors who built it still occupy the site.
Great Zimbabwe, or in the local language DZimbabwe, is the origin of the country’s modern name. DZimbabwe, is actually three words in the Shona language; Dz, meaning ‘Great,’ imba, meaning ‘stone,’ and bwe, meaning ‘house,’ giving the country’s name as ‘Great Stone House.’ Great Zimbabwe, the best preserved of some 100 stone structures in the country, is a World Heritage Site, protected under international conventions. It is under the management of Zimbabwe’s National Parks Authority, and after Victoria Falls in the north on the border with Zambia, is one of the most visited tourist sites, with international and domestic visitors year-round.
The complex was built from the 12th to the 15th century AD, beginning with the king’s complex on the top of the hill. The refinement of construction techniques can be seen as one tours the site from the top, with stone carving and fitting becoming more sophisticated as you move down the hill to the great enclosure in the valley below. Reasons for the decline of the kingdom are not definitely known, although encroachments of Ndebele beginning in the early 1880s, breakaway groups from the Zulu kingdom, and later arrival of European settlers in 1895, who sought to exploit the mineral wealth of the region, are thought to have played a significant role.
Despite having been unoccupied for hundreds of years, Great Zimbabwe remains an inspiration to visitors. For visitors who are experiencing Africa for the first time, the sophisticated construction techniques that are apparent in the structure help to erase the myth that ancient Africans were primitive people lacking cultural or technological skills. For locals, especially the legions of students who tour the site throughout the year, it is a reminder of the greatness that is their rightful cultural heritage.
Being only a three-hour-drive from Harare, Great Zimbabwe is an excellent day trip from the capital. You can drive to the site in the early morning, spend two or three hours touring the ruins and the recreated traditional Shona village, have lunch at the Great Zimbabwe Hotel adjacent to the ruins, and be back in Harare for supper. Alternatively, you can opt to spend a few days in the area, examining the ruins in detail. Lodge at the Ancient City, a hotel situated just outside the national park, provides accommodations built in the style of Great Zimbabwe, with lodges built around the rock formations and a restaurant/bar with balconies providing views of the ruins and the surrounding terrain. The $160 per night rate for bed, breakfast, and dinner might seem a little pricey, but it is in line with rates charged by facilities throughout the country, and the ambience makes it worth it. The hotel also offers boat cruises on the nearby lake, scenic drives, bush walks, and guided tours of the monument at reasonable rates.
Lodge at the Ancient City
Great Zimbabwe
Masvingo, Zimbabwe
Phone: 263 774 401 186
Email: reservations@ancientcitylodge.net
Website: http://www.ancientcitylodge.co.zw
