Great+Zimbabwe

The ruins of Great Zimbabwe extend over a radius of about 100 to 200 miles. The city is believed to have been built around 600 to 1,000 years ago. Until relatively recently, the city was believed to have been built by a "mysterious white race." During the European rule, the ruins were ravaged and stripped practically bare by European archeologists. It is now accepted that the city was a product of the Shona, a Bantu speaking people. The site was first inhabited around 400 A.D. The ruins mainly consist of a large main stone enclosure with other stone structures surrounding it. The tapering at the top of the wall suggests sophisticated building techniques. The population previously thought to be around 1,000 people is now believed to have been about 18,000.