Great Zimbabwe

Controversy
Presentation by
amigo tutor: Theresa Shamiso Sibanda
Email address: shamisoblessing@gmail.com
Cell: 0774658065
Introduction

Great Zimbabwe means Zi –Great Mba –House Bwe-of stones.

There is a lot controversy on :
1.Who built Great Zimbabwe ?(building controversy)
2. When was it built ? (time controversy)
3.For what purpose was Great Zimbabwe constructed?(architectural
controversy)
So Great Zimbabwe controversy tries to answer these three questions, who ,
when and why was Great Zimbabwe built ?
As a result the historians came up with three theories, time, building and
architectural controversy.
Cont’

In trying to answer these three questions, different historians came up with

various theories .
There was a debate on whether Great Zimbabwe was built by blacks or whites /
foreigners.
Another controversy is who among the blacks or whites built the monuments.
Another controversy is when was Great Zimbabwe built?
Another controversy is why was Great Zimbabwe constructed ?
Controversy on who built Great
Zimbabwe –(Building controversy)
There is a debate on who built Great Zimbabwe?
Was it built by blacks or whites/foreigners?
If it was built by whites who amongst the whites built Great Zimbabwe?
If it was built by blacks who amongst the blacks built Great Zimbabwe?
Eurocentric historians are sympathetic towards whites, content that Great
Zimbabwe monuments were built by whites.
Afrocentric historians are sympathetic towards blacks, content that the
monuments were built by blacks or locals.
Next slides will discuss debate on who built Great Zimbabwe.
Different historians haven’t agreed on this issue hence the issue on who built Great
Zimbabwe remain a controversial one.
When was Great Zimbabwe built ?(time
controversy)
Another controversy is when the monuments were constructed.
This is known as time theory.
There is a lot of debate as to when these monuments were built.
Historians haven’t agreed on the dates and it has aroused a lot of controversy
Various Eurocentric and Afrocentric historians have given conflicting dates on when
Great Zimbabwe was constructed.
Historians have used various archaeological evidence to come up with various dates.
Artefacts found have been subjected to carbon dating and revealed various dates.
The issue of when the monuments were constructed remain controversial.
Great Zimbabwe existed between 1100, 1300 1340 and 1350 AD.
SI Mudenge opinion (TIME THEORY)

Mudenge S I believed that that the ruins were constructed in the 11th century
and completed around 13th century and declined in the 15th century.
He believed that the constructors of Great Zimbabwe were Shonas since the
prints of European can not be traced.
Vicente Pedago visited Great Zimbabwe around 1531 and wrote about the great
work of stone .He was amazed to discover such great work in an uncivilized
area.
Its believed Great Zimbabwe was built and existed between 1100-1450.
Time theory

It is not known when Great Zimbabwe was built.

Afrocentric historians agree that Great Zimbabwe was built around 1100 AD on
the other hand Eurocentric theorists argue that the monuments were around
1200-1300AD.
They reached this conclusion using fossils and artefacts found at Great
Zimbabwe.
The radio carbon dating that was used and suggested different dates.
By not having a specific time on when Great Zimbabwe was built brings about
controversies on when Great Zimbabwe was built.
Purpose (Architectural controversy)

Another controversy is on purpose for construction of various structures found

at Great Zimbabwe.
There are various structures found at the site. Historians haven’t agreed on the
purpose or reasons for construction of various structures found at the site.
Recent researches dismiss earlier explanations on the purpose of construction.
They have used anthropology, ethnography and oral sources to establish their
evidence.
They dismiss earlier explanations by Eurocentric historians who didn’t not
understand local culture.
Afrocentric writers

They argue that Great Zimbabwe was built by Africans.

However they do not specify on who built it.
Some scholars argues that Great Zimbabwe was built by the Mapungubwe
people.
Mapungubwe experienced severe ecological problems around the 10th century
and they abandoned their state.
This led to the formation of Great Zimbabwe.
Cont’

Some scholars content that Great Zimbabwe was built by Leopold kopje
nomadic pastoralists.
These were the people who moved from place to place in search for good
pastures for their animals.
These nomadic pastoralists settled at Great Zimbabwe and this marked the
beginning of Great Zimbabwe.
Afrocentric historian -James Mullan

Afrocentric historians like J. Mullan give credit to locals such as the Lemba
especially the Takavare clan who were multi skilled.
Some scholars argue that Great Zimbabwe was built by the Lemba
people(varemba).
These people were good in artistic work or skilled sculptors.
They ware talented in working and shaping stones / masonry or sculpturing.
The Lemba bury their dead in stretched positions and fossils have been found at
the site to support this claim that it’s the Lemba who built the monuments.
Ibn Said –an Arab trader(1214-1286)

K Mufuka and P Garlake
The above Afrocentric writers content that The builders of Great Zimbabwe were
the Shonas.
Jao de Barros and others first propounded that ”whites did not build Great
Zimbabwe,blacks did.”
Chigwedere, Hodza concluded artefacts found at Great Zimbabwe confirms Shona
traditional culture.
Randall –Maclver D first archaeologist to study Great Zimbabwe confirm has African
origin.
The Shonas build stone structures at Great Zimbabwe and those around Zimbabwe.
Beach DN noted divining bowls soapstone etc and this supports the African built the
monuments.
Cont’

Some scholars argue that Great Zimbabwe was built by the late iron age
communities.
These were the people who were using iron tools.
Even among Afrocentric historians there a debate on who built Great Zimbabwe?
Was Great Zimbabwe built by Mapungubwe people, Lemba,Leopard kopje
pastoralists, Late iron age societies or local Karanga people.
Failure to provide a definite answer brings controversy.
This debate brings controversy on building controversy or construction theory.
Eurocentric view

Eurocentric historians argue that Great Zimbabwe was built by Arabs , Persian
s ,Chinese or Swahilis .
They argued that the stones structures at Great Zimbabwe were similar to the
buildings found where these people came from .
The chances are high that when these people came to trade , they ended up
building structures such as the Great Zimbabwe.
Cont’
Some Eurocentric writers content that Great Zimbabwe was built by King Solomon and Queen Sheba
They argue that the gold storage facilities that were found at Great Zimbabwe belonged to King
Solomon and the ornaments and beads that were discovered belonged to Queen Sheba .
They argue that Great Zimbabwe is that lost city in a dark continent described in the book of 2 kings .
Karl Mauch supports this view using the artefacts of cedar wood found at the lintel which he believes
came from Lebanon.
Cont”

Eurocentric historians believed that “ Africans were backward , barbaric ,

savages , blood thirsty people , war mongers , ½ child ½ devil , suffered from
mental capabilities from the early stages of puberty.”
As a result of this explanation ,Africans could not have built such a structure as
Great Zimbabwe monument.
Eurocentric historians refute the argument that artefacts found at Great
Zimbabwe belonged to Africans.
They ascribed the building of Great Zimbabwe to the Europeans not the Africans.
Amongst the Eurocentric historians they have also not agreed on who amongst
the above listed groups built Great Zimbabwe.
Ranger T.O

He argues that Africans cannot be builders of Great Zimbabwe

He gives credit to “civilized countries” of Europe.
Joao Barros gave credit to Jews and Phonecians.
Their argument in driven by foreign artefacts found at the site and complex
nature of stone structures.
Carl Mauch concluded that the cedar wood he found from the lintel was from
Lebanon justifying the fact that monuments had exotic origin.
He goes on to say imbahuru was build for Queen Sheba.
JT BENT AND R Hall

The two writers concluded that the civilization was not by local Africans.
These two were hired by BSAC to do some investigations.
The content that Great Zimbabwe was built by more civilized races.
Items found at Great Zimbabwe prove that it was not built by Africans.
Purpose of the conical
tower(architectural controversy)
There is controversy on why the conical tower was built.
Some scholars argue that it was used for storing grain.
Others argue that it was constructed for religious reasons as it represented
fertility.
Some scholars argue that the conical tower was used as a watch tower.
It is where the cattle herders used to climb as they herd their cattle.
Some scholars argue that the conical tower showed the power and authority of
the king.
This was because its shape resembled the shape of manhood hence showing
power and authority.
Mukanya

Mukanya argues that Conical tower represented fertility and success.

Its is shaped like male organ which represent fertility.
Evidence of population size reveal fertility.
Great Zimbabwe was inhabited by the people between 11 000 to 15 000.
Mufuka k

Mufuka suggested that the tower was built for religious purpose.
They wanted to be closer to mwari.
The tower was an altar for religious ceremonies.
It was a religious shrine.
Ritual bowls and soapstone bowls found butresses this point.
Huffman talks of birds found at the site had a religous significance.(shiri
yehungwe soapstone images)
conclusion

In conclusion the explanation on why, when, was Great Zimbabwe was

constructed leaves a lot to be desired.
More recent historians have come up with explanations as to why the
monuments were constructed.
Earlier explanations by Eurocentric historians are losing ground to researches by
recent historians who use ethnography, anthropology to explain the reasons for
construction.
Mudenge and Beach argues that The great Zimbabwe was built for defensive
reasons to see the enemy from afar.
Writers of Great Zimbabwe History

Afrocentric historians and writers Eurocentric writers

Mufuka K Carl Mauch

S I Mudenge T bent
DN Beach
Vicente Pedago
E Mullan and Randall Maclver Joao de Barros
PN Tindal
Ibn Said and
Practice Questions

Analyse controversy surrounding the construction of Great Zimbabwe (25 marks)

The end

Amigo tutor:Theresa Shamiso Sibanda

Email add:shamisoblessing @gmail.com.
Cell:0774658065