Through the colonial period, controversy surrounded the archeological site at Great Zimbabwe. From the 1890s to the 1930s, famed European archaeologists debated who had built Great Zimbabwe and the dates of its construction. With the decolonization of Africa in the late twentieth century, scholars rejected earlier colonial narratives to successfully reclaim the site as a grand Medieval African civilization.  With the site’s African origins settled, current conversations have turned to who should control access to the site’s ruins and who should own its artifacts.  This discussion examines these scholarly conversations about Great Zimbabwe’s heritage.

Tasks:

First, read each of the following documents:

Colonial-era sources:
1. Monck (1892)
2. Schlichter (1893)
3. Hall (1905)
4. Caton-Thompson (1931)

More recent scholarship:
5. Garlake (2002)
6. Hall and Stefoff (2006)
7. Ndoro (2001)
8. Fontein (2006)

Then, answer both of the following questions:

1. According to recent scholars, who built Great Zimbabwe? How and why have these more recent scholars challenged the colonial-era views of Great Zimbabwe? Use documents #1, #2, #3, #4, #5, and #6 to answer these questions.
2. What is the historical significance of Great Zimbabwe? Use documents #7 and #8 to answer this question.