SIMON MUZENDA SCHOOL OF ARTS, CULTURE AND HERITAGE STUDIES

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY, ARCHAEOLOGY AND DEVELOPMENT STUDIES

MODULE TITLE : ARCHAEOLOGY OF GREAT ZIMBABWE

MODULE CODE : HARC 410

LECTURER : DR T. MUKWENDE

E-MAIL : tmukwende@gzu.ac.zw MOBILE: 0773701044

Module Synopsis

The module introduces students to the Great Zimbabwe Controversy and the Zimbabwe
Culture. The module covers Great Zimbabwe monument in detail, the ancient city and its
material culture. Factors leading to the rise and fall of Great Zimbabwe will be explored.
The use of space at Great Zimbabwe monument and new dimensions in the
interpretation of the site shall be looked at. Topics include the chronology of Great
Zimbabwe from its early phases up to its 'collapse', the architecture, interpretation as
well as previous, current and future research.

Module objectives

By the end of the module students should be able to:

Zimbabwe.

beyond.
he factors that led to the rise and decline of the Great Zimbabwe State.

een Great Zimbabwe and other Zimbabwe

Culture sites.

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Topics to be covered
1. Understanding Great Zimbabwe
e Site?

large?

2. Origins and controversies concerning the authorship of Great

Zimbabwe

igenous origins (product of the Karanga people)

-Mauch, Bent, McIver and Caton-Thompson

etc.
influencing research output

-independence research at Great Zimbabwe

: oral traditions, written documents

3. The Chronological Sequence at Great Zimbabwe

raphy and pottery styles

4. Interpretation of Space Use at Great Zimbabwe

- Huffman
l culture of Great Zimbabwe - Chirikure

5. Factors leading to the rise and fall of the Great Zimbabwe State
-political, economic, religious, long distance trade, cattle etc.

6. Mapungubwe and the origins of the Zimbabwe Culture

and Mapungubwe

-Western Zimbabwe

7. The Conservation and Management of the Great Zimbabwe

Archaeological Heritage
Legislative Landscape
– Colonial and post-Colonial
– World Heritage Listing, UNESCO, UNDP,
Great Zimbabwe
Great Zimbabwe

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