Construction of Great Zimbabwe

Ancestors of the Shona people built Great Zimbabwe on the southeastern plateau of present-day Zimbabwe, constructing dry-stone walls up to 11 meters high without mortar. The city served as the capital of a kingdom controlling gold and ivory trade routes between the interior goldfields and the Swahili Coast port of Sofala. At its peak in the 14th century, the settlement housed over 10,000 people. Archaeological excavations have uncovered Chinese porcelain, Persian glass beads, and Arab coins from Kilwa, documenting extensive Indian Ocean trade connections.