Question

sheet 5: who built great zimbabwe? there used to be a debate over the origins of great zimbabwe. early visitors either could not or did not believe that it could have been built by africans. as late as the 1970s, during the period of the white rhodesian state, guides at the site were not allowed to suggest that africans had built it. source 1 it can be taken as a fact that the wood which we obtained from great zimbabwe actually is cedar - wood and it cannot come from anywhere else but from the lebanon. furthermore, only the phoenicians could have brought it here also. solomon used a lot of cedar - wood for the building of the temple in jerusalem. carl mauch (1871), quoted in garlake 1973: 64 source 2 the word peacocks in the bible may be read as parrots and amongst the stone ornaments from zimbabwe are green parrots. cecil rhodes (1891), quoted in garlake 1973: 65 source 3 we may now accept that the older portions of zimbabwe represent the monuments of a colony of the ancient empire of saba sheba. at marib in saba there are ruins of a temple identical in their main features with those of zimbabwe. hall 1905: 296 - 297 source 4 in recent years, most africans have not only claimed the ruins as the product of an indigenous african society but have taken pride in them as a reminder of past glories. garlake 1973: 12 questions 1. how strong is the evidence that great zimbabwe was not built by africans (see sources 1 - 5)? 2. why could europeans not believe it had been built by africans? 3. why does modern zimbabwe have so many symbols from great zimbabwe (sources 6 - 7)?

Explanation:

1. The evidence in sources 1 - 3 is weak. Source 1 links cedar - wood to Phoenicians, but trade could have occurred. Source 2 makes a tenuous link via parrots. Source 3 suggests a link to Saba, but doesn't rule out African involvement.
2. Europeans had colonial mindsets and racial prejudices, believing Africans were incapable of such advanced architecture.
3. Modern Zimbabwe uses symbols from Great Zimbabwe to connect with its rich pre - colonial past, celebrate national identity, and showcase historical achievements.

Answer:

1. The evidence that Great Zimbabwe was not built by Africans is weak.
2. Europeans had colonial and racial prejudices.
3. To connect with the pre - colonial past, celebrate national identity, and showcase historical achievements.