Great Zimbabwe Archaeological Evidence

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Great Zimbabwe The ancient ruins of Great Zimbabwe are to be found 150 miles from the present day capital city of Zimbabwe, Harare. The ruins are located 1,100 metres above sea level looking down on the Shashe-Limpopa river basin on the Harare Plateau. They also lie 300 miles south of the Zambezi River and 250 miles west of the Indian Ocean. The solid structures of Great Zimbabwe were built over quite a long period from approximately 1200 years AD to 1450 years AD. It is thought that Great Zimbabwe was ruled over by the Karanga people who are an off-shoot of the Shona people. Similarities exist between the ceramics produced by the Karanga and those which have been unearthed at the site of Great Zimbabwe. Other archaeologists and historians are of the opinion that the people who once lived in and around Great Zimbabwe might have originated from a community which came from Leopard’s Kopje. This is about 100 miles from Great Zimbabwe and close to the city of Bulawayo. Traces of a wealthy iron age community have been discovered in this locality, where wealth and status was measured by the number of cattle one had. These hill fortresses could have their roots in ancient communities. Such a community has been found in Northeast Zambia at the rock shelter of Makwe. This lies 130 miles northeast of Zumbo on the side of a hill 80 ft above swamp land and close to a southward flowing river. It was occupied between 4000 Years BC and 3000 Years BC. This was then reoccupied in the 1st Millennium AD and had a large entrance hall plus a main living area. A cave at the southern end of Great Zimbabwe fortress possessed acoustic properties which enabled one’s voice to be carried right to the bottom of the valley. Maybe the ruling king spoke to his people from that cave and gave himself an air of mystique. The historic site of Great Zimbabwe consists of 12

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