The Great Zimbabwe: The City with Giant Walls
Imagine a city with enormous walls… built without cement! And no, it’s not a movie set!
Welcome to Great Zimbabwe, in southern Africa, in what is now Zimbabwe.
Nearly a thousand years ago, the Shona people began building this extraordinary city. Over the centuries, they constructed stone walls, homes and large enclosed spaces surrounded by ramparts.
By the 14th century, the city had become an important centre. People farmed, worked with metals and traded goods.
And here’s an amazing clue: archaeologists discovered glass beads and pieces of porcelain from China and Persia! This shows that the people of Great Zimbabwe were connected to distant trading networks.
But why was this great city gradually abandoned around the 15th century? Environmental changes and the challenges of feeding a large population may have played a role.
Today, its walls are still standing, telling us the story of this remarkable civilisation.
Can you imagine how people built such enormous walls without cement?
