About Great Zimbabwe: Great Zimbabwe Monument is situated close to the town of Masvingo near the shores of Lake Mutirikwe. The word Zimbabwe derives from the words “dzimba dza mabwe” that signify “houses of stone” in Shona language. There was much speculation among the former colonial rulers of Rhodesia as to the origins of these impressive structures. For instance, they searched extensively for evidence that these edifices had been built as palaces of the Queen of Sheba. It was unthinka-ble at the time that African indigenous people were the builders. But in fact today the latest scien-tific theories based on extensive excavations and research suggest that the Karanga, part of the multi-faceted Shona peoples are the architects of this huge ancient palace. Construction started in the 12th century. Rock paintings in the vicinity that date back much further indicate that nomadic San or Bushmen roamed this area originally. Also predating Great Zimbabwe by a very long time, evidence of smelting and working iron in this area has been discovered by the scientists. Between the 12th and 15th centuries, Great Zimbabwe grew into a massive city with between 12 000 and 20 000 inhabitants. During archaeological digs, artefacts of gold, ivory and porcelain as well as pearls were discovered, indicating that the rulers of Great Zimbabwe were very wealthy –in part because they demanded tribute from the surrounding tribes- and that they had close trade rela-tionships with other nations. In the course of Great Zimbabwe’s formation, three markedly differ-ent construction styles coincide with different periods in time. All the edifices have in common that they were built out of flat granite stones. They were all built without the use of scaffolding and no mortar was used between the stones. The walls are up to 6 metres thick and 11 metres high. During the first phase of construction the stones were layered upon one another with no consideration of size or shape. The second phase is identified by the stones being sorted according to size, thus regular layers are discernible, and the visible surfaces were smoothed after construc-tion. During this phase, the decorations were built into the walls and the famous stone sculptures were crafted. The last phase of construction that coincides with the period of decline of Great Zimbabwe, stones were piled upon each other with no regard to shape or layering. Great Zimbabwe’s edifices consist mainly of two large complexes, the Hill Complex and the ellip-soidal Great Enclosure. The stone walls were not directly used as houses. The people actually lived in huts constructed out of wood and clay that were surrounded by the stone walls. The Hill Complex is situated upon a roughly 100 metre high hill and was reserved for the kings, their entourage and the graves of the ancestors. The area where the ancestral graves were found was also a place of worship. Very conspicuous in Hill Complex are the massive granite boulders that were built into the walls. One of the highlights and of course the reward for climbing up the hill is the amazing view over the Great Enclosure. Two paths lead up to the edifices of the Hill Complex, the “ancient” and the “modern” paths. Both are very much worth following. If you climb up the ancient path, it will lead you up a steep incline and through a narrow crevice. You can easi-ly imagine how it must have been for workers to climb up here carrying heavy loads. The modern path is longer and winds around the side of the hill, thus you can enjoy the varied views whilst making your way down. The Great Enclosure on the valley floor still provides much food for thought for the scientists. The current theory is that the king’s wives lived here. The elliptical wall has a circumference of roughly 250 metres and encloses an area of about 90 metres in diametre. In spite of its size it is well worth walking right around the outside of the wall because the most beautiful and best preserved deco-rations are on the outside. The most conspicuous edifice within this complex ist he conical tower, 15 that is one of the country’s emblems. The purpose of the tower is not known for certain, it cannot have served for defense purposes or as a storage space because it is solidly built with no cavity within. Thus scientists suspect that the tower had a symbolic character.
Posted on: Tue, 25 Jun 2013 14:03:47 +0000
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