Built consistently through the period from the 11th century to the 15th century.The ruins are some of the oldest and largest structures located in Southern Africa.
At its peak the estimated population of 10 000 people lived at the area.The people were involved in farming and rearing of animals.The women make pottery while men melted iron in furnaces.
The karanga people used granite stones to build the walls without mortar as stones were free standing.The walls built to defend harsh weather conditions such as heavy winds.
The a building structures of stones span 1 800 acres (7KM²) and the radius of 100 to 200 miles (160 to 320 km)
In 1531 .Vente Pegado ,.Captain of the Portuguese Garrison of Sogala described the Great Zimbabwe , as among the gold mines of the inland plains between the Limpopo and Zambezi rivers there is a fortess built of stones of marvelous size and appears to be no mortar joinig them.The chevron patterns using this stone found on the building.Since sculpting was popular with the shona people.Several birds were sculpted and displayed on the building.
The birds signifies the people's power while others was their totem "Hungwe." It could also have been a symbol of the relationship between the rulers and the religious figures.
One of these birds has become the symbol of the modern state of Zimbabwe.It is an important icon.It is the national emblem which is found on the national coat of arms,flag ,bank notes ,heroes acre ,museum and other important buildings .
The Great Zimbabwe has greatly influenced Zimbabwean art and is now on the world map in number of art activities such as pottery.weaving .sculpture ,drawing and painting.
The artefacts found at Great Zimbabwe which include clay pots, beads and the curved birds and animals.In today pottery making ,one finds that the pots are usually decorated with a vhevron pattern which is found at Great Zimbabwe.
Currently Zimbabwe is recognised to be one of the African 's best stone sculpture.Today sculptors are motivated with some pieces found at the Great Zimbabwe.which includes the birds curved using the soapstone which is now populary used these days.
This edifice is almost surrounded by hills upon which are others resembling it in the fashioning of stone and the absence of mortar and one of them is tower more than 12 fathoms(22m)high.
The natives of the country call these edifices symbaole ,which according to their language signifies court.The conical tower inside the great Enclosure .
The ruins can be grouped into three distinct archtectural groups. These are hill complex,the valley copmlex and the famous Great endo.
The hill complex:was used as a temple.
The valley complex:was for the citizens .
The great Endo:was used for the king
Over 300 structures have been found so far in the Great Endo.
The type of stone structure found on the site give an indication of the status of the citizenry.Structures that were more elaborate were populary built for the kings and situated further away from the centre of the city.It is believed that this was done inorder to escape sleeping sickness
The Great Zimbabwe was a market place with artifacts suggesting that the city formed part of a trade network extending as far as China,Chinese pottery shards, coins from Arabia ,glass beader and other non-local items have been excavated Great Zimbabwe.
Portuguese traders were the first European visitors at the ancient city in the early 16th century.
The ruins were rediscovered during a hunting trip by Adam Renders in 1867 who then showed the ruins to Karl Manch in1871.Bent whose archaelogical experience head all been traced in Greece and Asia Minor started in the ruined mashonaland in 1891.
The scientific archaeological excavations at the site were undertaken by David Randall Maclaver in 1905-1906.Exterior wall of the great Enclosure picture was taken by D.R.Maclaver in 1906.
Researchers agreed that the Great Zimbabwe could have been a product of internal processes ,,but rather had to be the result of outside stimulus.
In 1980 Great Zimbabwe has been employed to mirror and legitimise shifting policies of the ruling regime.
At first it was argued that it represented a form of pre-colonial African Socialism and later the focus shifted to stressing the natural evolution of an accumulation of wealth and power within a ruling alite .
The builders were exploited shona natives and were members of the Bantu family.Some postulate that Great Zimbabwe was the work of the Gokomere people.
Great Zimbabwe and various stone cities in east Africa are also clamed by the Lemba on ethnic group who claims to be ancient jewish descent. Anti-colonists movements ,symbolise Great Zimbabwe as an achievement by black Africans reclaiming its history was a major aim for those wanting independence.
After the majority rule government installed in 1980 the country renamed in honour of the site and its famous soap-stone bird carving become a national symbol depicted on the national flag.Great Zimbabwe has been a UNESCO World heritage site since 1986.It one of the seven wonders of the world together with victoria falls.
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