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Stretched across a tree-peppered expanse
in southern Africa

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lies the magnificent ruins
of Great Zimbabwe,

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a medieval stone city of astounding
wealth and prestige.

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Located in the present-day country
of Zimbabwe,

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it's the sight of the largest known
settlement ruins in Sub-Saharan Africa,

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second on the continent only
to the pyramids of Egypt.

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But the history of this city
is shrouded in controversy,

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defined by decades of dispute
about who built it and why.

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Its name comes from the Shona word
madzimbabwe,

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meaning big house of stone

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for its unscalable stone walls
that reach heights of nearly ten meters

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and run for a length of about 250 meters.

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For its grandeur 
and historical significance,

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it was named a UNESCO 
World Heritage site in 1986.

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Back in the 14th and 15th centuries,
it was a thriving city.

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Spread across nearly eight 
square-kilometers,

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Great Zimbabwe was defined by
three main areas:

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the Hill Complex, where the king lived;

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the Great Enclosure, reserved for
members of the royal family;

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and the Valley Complex, 
where regular citizens lived.

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Rulers were both powerful economic
and religious leaders for the region.

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At its highest point,

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the city had a bustling urban population 
of 18,000 people

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and was one of the major African 
trade centers at the time.

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What enabled this growth 
was Great Zimbabwe's influential role

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in an intercontinental trade network.

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Connected to several key city-states
along the East African Swahili Coast,

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it was part of the larger Indian Ocean
trade routes.

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The city generated its riches 
by controlling the sources and trade

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of the most prized items:

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gold,

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ivory,

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and copper.

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With this mercantile power, it was able
to extend its sphere of influence

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across continents,

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fostering a strong Arab and Indian
trader presence throughout its zenith.

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Archaeologists have since pieced together
the details of this history

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through artifacts discovered on site.

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There were pottery shards
and glassworks from Asia,

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as well as coins minted in the coastal
trading city of Kilwa Kisiwani

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over 1,500 miles away.

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They also found soapstone bird figures,

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which are thought to represent
each of the city's rulers,

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and young calf bones,
only unearthed near the royal residence,

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show how the diet of the elite
differed from the general population.

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These clues have also led to theories
about the city's decline.

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By the mid-15th century,

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the buildings at Great Zimbabwe
were almost all that remained.

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Archaeological evidence points
to overcrowding

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and sanitation issues as the cause,

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compounded by soil depletion
triggered by overuse.

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Eventually, as crops withered
and conditions in the city worsened,

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the population of Great Zimbabwe
is thought to have dispersed

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and formed the nearby Mutapa
and Torwa states.

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Centuries later, a new phase
of Great Zimbabwe's influence

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began to play out in the political realm

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as people debated who had built
the famous city of stone.

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During the European 
colonization of Africa,

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racist colonial officials claimed 
the ruins couldn't be of African origin.

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So, without a detailed written 
record on hand,

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they instead relied on myths to explain
the magnificence of Great Zimbabwe.

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Some claimed it proved the Bible
story of the Queen of Sheba

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who lived in a city of riches.

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Others argued it was built by
the Ancient Greeks.

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Then, in the early 20th century
after extensive excavation at the site,

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the archaeologist David Randall-MacIver

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presented clear evidence 
that Great Zimbabwe

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was built by indigenous peoples.

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Yet, at the time, the country's white 
minority colonial government

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sought to discredit this theory because it
challenged the legitimacy of their rule.

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In fact, the government actively
encouraged historians

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to produce accounts that disputed
the city's African origins.

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Over time, however, an overwhelming
body of evidence mounted,

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identifying Great Zimbabwe as an African
city built by Africans.

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During the 1960s and 70s,

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Great Zimbabwe became an important symbol 
for the African Nationalist movement

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that was spreading across the continent.

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Today, the ruins at Great Zimbabwe,

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alluded to on the Zimbabwean flag
by a soapstone bird,

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still stand as a source of national pride
and cultural value.