Great Zimbabwe (1100 AD - 1450 AD)

Overall Empire Grade: B

Government- Grade: B (Alison)

         The Great Zimbabwe is the empire that had built The Great Enclosure, this was a huge "assignment" they had to do. There had to of been some kind of administrative force to complete this task because they had to bring stone masons and other workers together. Also that the wall was a total of "800 feet long" and had "15,00 tons of granite blocks." The wall was "19.7 feet thick and 36 feet high" in most areas.
         Although there was some kind of  administrative force, it didn't stay there for very long. "In 1890, British imperialist and colonizer Cecil Rhodes" "conquered a large portion of southern African and had the region named after himself." This means that Rhodes "claimed" the region his. The Europeans soon after started taking freedoms from the Africans of Zimbabwe by creating the image that they were not capable to produce The Great Enclosure by themselves. 
      The reason why I gave government a B was because before 1890 there must have been some kind of control of the people and after being conquered by Rhodes the government started taking away the freedoms of the Africans of Zimbabwe.

Religion- Grade: A (Mackenzie)      
      Much of the the culture and ancient traditions of the Bantu, the migrators that inhabited the area known as the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, is unknown due to the fact that the kingdom did not have its own written language and its oral traditions have not continued. Proof for various facts about the empire come from the ruins of the city of Great Zimbabwe, located east of the Kalahari Desert.

       The city was built as a place of worship for Mwari, who the people believed was the creator of life. The people also acknowledged the capability of Mwari to sustain all things. The Bantu consulted Mwari in prayer through their family's ancestors. During times of difficulty, they would seek advice from a spirit medium who supposedly had direct contact with these ancestors. The chieftain, or king, of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe would have his own "Zimbabwe," an outdoor amphitheater or temple, which would serve as a designated place for the mediums to hear the ancestor's spirits. These beliefs were the authorized religion of the people of Great Zimbabwe, as the city was built as a religious center. This caused the belief system of the Zimbabweans to become centralized.

       The religion of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe recieves an A. The city of Great Zimbabwe with built as a religious center, signaling rich cultural unity. The Zimbabweans worshiped Mwari, the God they believed was the creator and sustainer of life, which gave meaning to the mundane. The people also had a way to deal with strife through mediums who would pray to Mwari through their ancestors. The king also supported the mediums by giving them a place for their work in his "Zimbabwe."

Economy- Grade: A (Keri)
               The Great Zimbabwe Empire was located over a large gold mine. This allowing them to mine for large quantities and use it for trade.Their empire was the head of the gold and ivory trade. They traded among Kilwa (Eastern Africa), China, and Arabia.
               The main country that the Great Zimbabwe Empire traded with was China. the Great Zimbabwe Empire traded goods that they had produced, i.e. spears and arrow heads, with China for beads.
               Many goods were produced throughout the empire. With the use of Iron they produced hoes, axes, spear and arrow heads, and knives. Also, they used copper, bronze, and gold to make bracelets and beads.
               I gave the Great Zimbabwe Empire an A for economy because they produced many goods as well as gained many goods through trade.

Arts & Architecture- Grade: B (Brianna)
        The people of the Great Zimbabwe mainly focused on making huge walls and buildings out of stone. They used no mortar, just the stone blocks, which all together weighed tons. The most famous of these walls is The Great Enclosure. It is the largest manmade, ancient structure south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. Royal people of the empire lived in The Great Enclosure to separate themselves from the commoners.
        When Europeans traveled to Southern Africa when the empire was still around, they didn't believe that Africans could build such structures. They thought that Africans were uncivilized and were dumbfounded when they saw that these people could build those huge buildings out of stone without mortar. Each block of stone had to be the right size and put in just the right spot.
        Other forms of art that the empire is known for are the eight soapstone bird carvings that were found in the ruins. They are on average sixteen inches tall. They are birds with human features, like lips for beak and five-toed feet. In addition, the empire also had pottery, basket weaving, beadwork, textiles, and jewelry. The spindle, and other inventions used in the production of artistic items were adopted from outer tribes.
        I gave the empire an B for their art and architecture because they were so advanced. Most of the walls and buildings that the people made are still standing, and they were built without mortar, which is definitely impressive. The soapstone bird carvings were so influential that there is a bird on Zimbabwe's flag. The architecture was very inventive because they had to invent a way to get all the blocks to fit together and stay together. However, some of the empire's products, such as textiles, were made with equipment invented by other communities.

Technology- Grade: A- (Keri)
               Throughout the Great Zimbabwe Empire there mas a huge technology advancement. They went from the neotholic age, the last "part" of the Stone Age, to the Iron Age. During the Iron Age the empire began to produce goods such as axes and knives. Another advancement was that they used spindles for spinning cotton and weaving. They gained this technique from surrounding groups of people.
               Also, they are known for the walls among the empire. They were able to create some of these walls to be over sixteen and a half feet. These walls were built without mortar. In other words they were just set with no cement like paste.
               These advancements and creations improved the way people lived. Due to the goods made of iron, it was easier for the people of the empire to hunt for food if needed. The walls helped to protect the empire from any outside sources.
               I gave the Great Zimbabwe Empire an A- because they made many advancements in their technology use age, and it helped their quality of life. However, they adopted some techniques, using spindles, from outside sources.

Society- Grade: C+ (Mackenzie)
        The area around the Great Zimbabwe center structure, which later became known as the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, was inhabited by the Shona-speaking farmers in around 350 AD. They inhabited the area to avoid the tsetse flies that were spreading disease to their precious cattle and people. The city of Great Zimbabwe would grow to reach a population of over 18,000.
       The ruler of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe was a king. The ruling elite gained and maintained wealth through the management of cattle, which due to the geography of the empire, was the staple diet (the kingdom was located in a grassland-type biome). Even with a royal rule, there was no strict enforcement of a certain class or caste system.
       There was a sense of unification throughout the people. The Great Enclosure or Imba Huru, a 32 by 800 feet structure made with 15,000 tons of granite blocks, was built with no mortar, and therefore, was a great feat due to the work of several different work forces. Stone masons and other workers came together to complete such a feat which took over 300 years, proving that the kingdom was under strong administrative influence. This Great Enclosure, though, also instigates the possibly that the elite were valued above the common people. The magnificent wall could stand as a symbol of authority and means of privacy for the royal family.
       The Kingdom of Zimbabwe was also a center of trade, as ancient artifacts of the kingdom suggest. These artifacts show the kingdom's involvement in a trade network extending to Kilwa and China. Some of these artifacts are Chinese pottery shards and coins from Arabia. The trade mainly included gold, iron, ivory, cattle, and slaves who were sought by Arab traders. Slaves were traded from the African interior to the East African coast. Slave treatment of fellow Africans was humane. Elsewhere, after trading had occurred, the slaves were treated according to the culture of their new masters.
       The Kingdom of Zimbabwe's society recieves a B+. Since there was no class or caste system, there was a basis for a more moblie community. The royal elite received their wealth through cattle mangagement, so commoners seeking wealth could work hard to earn it. This also allowed for a sense of equality and movement. The one downfall of the society of the kingdom is the idea that the Great Enclosure, well an impressive administrative feat, could have been used as a barrier between the royals and the commoners.