HISTORY
THE MUSLIM WORLD AND AFRICA
|
Question
[CLICK ON ANY CHOICE TO KNOW THE RIGHT ANSWER]
|
|
|
Artifacts such as beads from India and porcelain from China have been found among the ruins.
|
|
|
Architecture similar to Zimbabwe’s Great Stones houses has been found in China and India.
|
|
|
Travelers who journeyed through Great Zimbabwe commented on the kingdom’s wealth.
|
|
|
Oral histories describe Great Zimbabwe as a great commercial center.
|
Detailed explanation-1: -However, the city was largely abandoned by the 15th century as the Shona people migrated elsewhere. The exact reasons for the abandonment are unknown, but it is likely that exhaustion of resources and overpopulation were contributing factors. The archaeological site at Great Zimbabwe consists of several sections.
Detailed explanation-2: -The stone constructions of Great Zimbabwe can be categorized into roughly three areas: the Hill Ruin (on a rocky hilltop), the Great Enclosure, and the Valley Ruins (map below). The Hill Ruin dates to approximately 1250, and incorporates a cave that remains a sacred site for the Shona peoples today.
Detailed explanation-3: -Because the Great Enclosure shares many structural similarities with the Hill Ruin, one interpretation suggests that the Great Enclosure was built to accommodate a surplus population and its religious and administrative activities.
Detailed explanation-4: -It was said that Great Zimbabwe was an African replica of the Queen of Sheba’s palace in Jerusalem. The idea was promoted by the German explorer Karl Mauch, who visited in 1871 and refused to believe that indigenous Africans could have built such an extensive network of monuments.
Detailed explanation-5: -Great Zimbabwe’s most enduring and impressive remains are its stone walls. These walls were constructed from granite blocks gathered from the exposed rock of the surrounding hills.