Great Zimbabwe Flashcards
Where did the name Zimbabwe come from and what does it mean?
It derived from the Shona “dzimba dzemabwe”, meaning houses of stone or stone buildings.
By what is some Zimbabwe symbolized today?
By the great Zimbabwe ruins near the present day town of Masvingo.
For what is Zimbabwe preserved today?
As a valuable cultural center and tourist attraction.
What was life like in Zimbabwe when the Shawna people arrived in 400 A.D.?
The land was full of possibilities: plains of fertile soil to support farming and herding, and mineral rich territories to provide gold, iron, copper, and tin for trading and crafting.
When did the people get divided by status?
1000 A.D.
Why where new buildings built?
Response to the changing social, political, and economic landscape.
In what did the kings live?
Tremendous stone houses constructed by peasants.
How were houses built?
Consisted out of heavy granite blocks, stacked tightly. Stones were arranged carefully and no mortar were used to seal them together.
What does elliptical mean?
Oval or egg shaped.
What is the great western enclosure?
The largest and most impressive building was an elliptical structure known today as the great western enclosure
What is the measurements of the wall?
244 m long and 9.8 m high.
What did the wall inclose?
Several huts and a tall, cone - shaped tower.
By what was the city’s center occupied?
Only by the elite.
Why did the line divide?
The rich and the rest.
What was the clues that lee to the theory of the dividing line?
Exotic items, no evidence of cooking so the food was prepared elsewhere by the
servants and delivered to the wealthy inhabitants upon demand.
Where did everyone else grow up/live?
Not glamorous well constructed mud huts.
What were some people’s believe about religion?
Religion triggered the city’s rise to power, and that the tall tower was used for worship.
Who was Mwari?
The supreme God in the Shawna religion.
What does Chinese porcelain, engraved glass from the middle east and metal ornaments from west African mean?
It is evidence that great Zimbabwe participated in a comprehensive trade network during the 13th and 14th century.
What happened by the mid-15th century?
Trade activity declined and people began to migrate elsewhere. Scientists believe the cause was declined in soil quality and fertility was probably a major factor.
What is the signs that prove the riches’ wealth?
They had far more living space
And astonishing variety of imported goods including the finest silks and embroidered materials
When and how long did Great Zimbabwe exist?
1220-1450
230 years
Where dis modest members live?
In a densely packed settlement in the valley below.
What did cattle mean to these people?
The cattle were more important than food. People did not eat the best cattle turned it over to the elites.
