Southeastern Zimbabwe, Shona peoples. c. 1000-1400 C.E. Coursed granite blocks
In some places, the walls are several meters thick, and many of the massive walls, stone monoliths and conical towers are decorated with designs or motifs. Patterns are worked into the walls, such as herringbone and dentelle designs, vertical grooves, and an elaborate chevron design decorates the largest building called the Great Enclosure
Identify:
- c. 1000-1400 CE
- Shona people
- Southeastern Zimbabwe (Great Zimbabwe)
Form:
- Coursed granite blocks
- no mortar held the blocks together
- Ashlar masonry: carefully cut stone walls made without mortar
- The wall is a stone walled structure punctuated with turrets and monoliths
- 820 ft long
- over 32 feet high in some areas
- The tower is 30 ft tall and 18 ft in diameter
- These walls endured for centuries
- Lots of detail and impressive geometric shapes and patterns
- The great walls encloses smaller stone structures and towers
- Conical tower is surrounded by the circular wall of Great Zimbabwe and was built with same type of stone as the circular wall
- Unique style because of location, not influenced by islamic architecture
Function:
- was a royal center where kings governed (symbolized their power)
- The wall separated the commoners from the royal families
- The great circular wall was to demonstrate power and protect the houses and the commercial market that it encased.
- a site for long distance trade
- The Conical functioned as a granary (symbolized that the ruler is "a custodian of bountiful harvest")
- A Shona ruler showed their power and wealth by the amount of grain they had.
- also allowed people to have panoramic views of the country to scope out enemies coming.
- The great enclosure possibly housed a surplus of population and was used for religious and administrative activities
- Also possibly served as a site of some religious rituals
- Sacred cave in the Hill Ruin that once house the ruler and family
Content:
- The stone constructions of Great Zimbabwe are categorized into three areas:
- the Hill Ruin
- sacred cave, 30 ft high walls, cylindrical towers and monoliths with geometric patterns
- the Great Enclosure
- walled structure with turrets and monoliths, smaller wall parallels the outer wall creating passageways to towers
- the Valley Ruins
- evidence of trade site
- Many discoveries of trade goods from as far as southeast Asia have been discovered at the site.
- The wall surrounded 250 clay structures that were furnished with pots, designated areas for sleeping and sitting, and hearths.
- these may have been for the royalty
- other clay and thatch homes may have supported 20,000
- Built around a cave that held religious importance to the Shona people
- Large towers connected to the wall to provide a 360-degree view of approaching enemies
- Some parts of the wall have geometric patterns
Context:
- The shona are the largest ethnic group in Zimbabwe
- Great Zimbabwe flourished during this time and may have had 18,000 inhabitants
- the vast majority lived in mud-brick structures, while elite rulers lived safely and luxuriously inside the walled enclosure
- Granite blocks were quarried from nearby hills and took decades to transport
- This structure took over 30 years to complete and demonstrates remarkable skill
- A soapstone sculpture of a seated bird resting on atop a register of zigzags was discovered within the circular wall
- The sculpture is thought to represent the power of the Shona kings
- The Conical tower also believed to be made to worship the supreme all creator god, Mwari.
- Built in a time of great wealth and success of Great Zimbabwe, so the structure was representative of their pride
- Great Zimbabwe was part of a large trading network
- the structure showed the wealth of kings, but also the city's wealth as Great Zimbabwe as they produced about two fifth of the world's gold
- Although they were an inland empire, kings taxed the gold to port cities along Africa's east coast for trade
- Greta Zimbabwe declined in the 15th century due to lack of gold, shifts in the trade network, and exhausted soil
- European explorers came upon Great Zimbabwe in the 18th century, and were amazed by the sophisticated ruins and theorized the biblical Queen of Sheba commissioned the structure
- Great Zimbabwe is now a source of national pride
- in 1980 leader celebrated their independence by naming their country Zimbabwe
Cross Cultural Comparisons
- Saqsa Warman in Cuzco (Image 159)
- Angkor Wat (c. 12th Century C.E.)
- Parthenon (c.447-480 B.C.E)
- Nan Madol
Themes:
- Status/class system
- Authority
- ritual/ ceremonies
- sacred space
- materials and their significance
- community
- societal pride and achievement
Sources:
- AP Art History by Larry Krieger
- https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-africa/southern-africa/zimbabwe/a/great-zimbabwe
