Arts & Architecture -- Grade: B (Brianna)

       The people of the Great Zimbabwe mainly focused on making huge walls and buildings out of stone. They used no mortar, just the stone blocks, which all together weighed tons. The most famous of these walls is The Great Enclosure. It is the largest man-made, ancient structure south of the Sahara Desert in Africa. Royal people of the empire lived in The Great Enclosure to separate themselves from the commoners. 
       When Europeans traveled to Southern Africa when the empire was still around, they didn't believe that Africans could build such structures. They thought that Africans were uncivilized and were dumbfounded when they saw that these people could build those huge buildings out of stone without mortar. Each block of stone had to be the right size and put in just the right spot. 
       Other forms of art that the empire is known for are the eight soapstone bird carvings that were found in the ruins. They are on average sixteen inches tall. They are birds with human features, like lips for beak and five-toed feet. In addition, the empire also had pottery, basket weaving, bead work, textiles, and jewelry. The spindle, and other inventions used in the production of artistic items, were adopted from outer tribes.
       The Kingdom of Zimbabwe receives an B for art and architecture. The walls and buildings that the Zimbabweans constructed are still standing today and were even built without mortar. The soapstone bird carvings were so influential that there is a bird on Zimbabwe's flag. The inventive architecture of the kingdom was expressed through the stone structures that were left behind after the kingdom's decline. Without mortar, architects had to find a way to fit the blocks together that was still efficient. A negation is that some of their productions of items such as textiles were made with equipment designed by other communities.


Sources: http://www.manuampim.com/ZIMBABWE.html, http://www.victoriafalls-guide.net/zimbabwe-culture.html, http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/zimb/hd_zimb.htm, http://www.dailykos.com/story/2010/11/06/918200/-Ancient-Africa:-The-Great-Zimbabwe-
http://wadsworth.com/art_d/templates/student_resources/0495003654_kleiner/studyguide/ch10nw/ch10_3.html