The Great Enclosure
The area around the Great Zimbabwe center structure, which later became known as the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, was inhabited by the Shona-speaking farmers in around 350 AD. They inhabited the area to avoid the tsetse flies that were spreading disease to their precious cattle and people. The city of Great Zimbabwe would grow to reach a population of over 18,000.
The ruler of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe was a king. The ruling elite gained and maintained wealth through the management of cattle, which due to the geography of the empire, was the staple diet (the kingdom was located in a grassland-type biome). Even with a royal rule, there was no strict enforcement of a certain class or caste system.
There was a sense of unification throughout the people. The Great Enclosure or Imba Huru, a 32 by 800 feet structure made with 15,000 tons of granite blocks, was built with no mortar, and therefore, was a great feat due to the work of several different work forces. Stone masons and other workers came together to complete such a feat which took over 300 years, proving that the kingdom was under strong administrative influence. This Great Enclosure, though, also instigates the possibly that the elite were valued above the common people. The magnificent wall could stand as a symbol of authority and means of privacy for the royal family.
The Kingdom of Zimbabwe was also a center of trade, as ancient artifacts of the kingdom suggest. These artifacts show the kingdom's involvement in a trade network extending to Kilwa and China. Some of these artifacts are Chinese pottery shards and coins from Arabia. The trade mainly included gold, iron, ivory, cattle, and slaves who were sought by Arab traders. Slaves were traded from the African interior to the East African coast. Slave treatment of fellow Africans was humane. Elsewhere, after trading had occurred, the slaves were treated according to the culture of their new masters.
The Kingdom of Zimbabwe's society receives a C+. Since there was no class or caste system, there was a basis for a more mobile community. The royal elite received their wealth through cattle management, so commoners seeking wealth could work hard to earn it. This also allowed for a sense of equality and movement. The downfall of the society of the kingdom is the idea that the Great Enclosure, well an impressive administrative feat, could have been used as a barrier between the royals and the commoners.
Sources: http://www.manuampim.com/ZIMBABWE.html, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/zimb/hd_zimb.htm, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Zimbabwe, http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=2&ved=0CCkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.world-archaeology.com%2Fgreat-discoveries%2Fgreat-zimbabwe%2F&ei=qafWTtGHLLGmsALVrYWADw&usg=AFQjCNFO7fNXjCLpQTLFnaxBuL0W5hCKLA&sig2=1bQTKiXMfksvEGT22y2ZOg ,
http://books.google.com/books?id=WfNaSNNAppQC&pg=PA339&lpg=PA339&dq=slave+treatment+great+zimbabwe&source=bl&ots=vhgZlyuhNH&sig=WvY5K1bqUrULA9ooWOxRTaWP8JM&hl=en&ei=ca3WTuOlKYuDsgLkvdTwDg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCAQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=slave%20treatment%20great%20zimbabwe&f=false , *Honors World History Notes
Picture Source: http://www.google.com/imgres?q=great+zimbabwe+great+enclosure&hl=en&biw=1311&bih=646&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=Z3vBv-N9EzJXiM:&imgrefurl=https://bashapedia.pbworks.com/w/page/33386794/Great%2520Zimbabwe&docid=JFYXnGHzTKUfnM&imgurl=https://bashapedia.pbworks.com/f/great-ruins.jpg&w=439&h=300&ei=lcXWTsn6M4eC2AWBua3VBg&zoom=1
*Notes on Africa's old empires taken 11/29/11
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