What type of architecture characterizes Great Zimbabwe?
During the second millennium BCE, two conventional styles of stone architecture dominated the architecture of Zimbabwe. The first style was Great Zimbabwe period architecture, which was an extension of natural elements. The well-coursed and thick stone walls were constructed on earth foundations.
What are the Shona known for?
Shona traditional culture, now fast declining, was noted for its excellent ironwork, good pottery, and expert musicianship. There is belief in a creator-god, Mwari, and a concern to propitiate ancestral and other spirits to ensure good health, rain, and success in enterprise.
What is unique about the architecture of Great Zimbabwe?
Great Zimbabwe has been described as “one of the most dramatic architectural landscapes in sub-Saharan Africa.”1 It is the largest stone complex in Africa built before the modern era, aside from the monumental architecture of ancient Egypt.
What is Great Zimbabwe known for?
Great Zimbabwe was a medieval African city known for its large circular wall and tower. It was part of a wealthy African trading empire that controlled much of the East African coast from the 11th to the 15th centuries C.E.
How was Great Zimbabwe constructed?
All of the walls at Great Zimbabwe were constructed from granite hewn locally. While some theories suggest that the granite enclosures were built for defense, these walls likely had no military function.
What language sounds like Shona?
Languages with partial intelligibility with Shona, of which the speakers are considered to be ethnically Shona, are the S15 Ndau language, spoken in Mozambique and Zimbabwe, and the S13 Manyika language, spoken in eastern Zimbabwe, near Mutare specifically Chipinge.
What is Shona sculpture made from?
The Shona Sculpture Gallery specialises in stone sculpture from Zimbabwe, often known as the ‘Shona sculpture’ art movement.
Did the Shona people built Great Zimbabwe?
The edifices are believed to have been erected by the ancestral Shona. The stone city spans an area of 7.22 square kilometres (2.79 square miles) which could have housed up to 18,000 people at its peak, giving it a population density of approximately 2,500 per square kilometre.
What two large structures did Great Zimbabwe consist of?
The site is generally divided into three main areas: the Hill Complex, the Great Enclosure, and the Valley Ruins. The first two are characterized by mortarless stone construction, but they also include ruined daga (earthen and mud-brick) structures that may once have rivaled the stone buildings in grandeur.
What is Shona design design?
Designs often use traditional geometric patterns mixed with stylized objects from everyday Shona life Shona artist are well known for their stone sculptures and are typically called “Shona” sculptures because it is the name of the tribe in Zimbabwe that has traditionally created these works of art.
What is the culture of Shona?
Shona, group of culturally similar Bantu-speaking peoples living chiefly in the eastern half of Zimbabwe, north of the Lundi River. The main groupings are the Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Tonga-Korekore, and Ndau. The Shona are farmers of millet, sorghum, and corn (maize), the last being the primary
What is Shona stone carving?
The stone carving has been part of the Zimbabwean culture since 1200 AD when Great Zimbabwe, an archaeological masterpiece of their early ancestors, was built. The re-emergence of this stone carving tradition in the 1950s, the solid forms and beautiful surfaces of Shona sculpture express an extraordinary emotional power”.
What does Shona mean in Zimbabwe?
Shona, group of culturally similar Bantu-speaking peoples living chiefly in the eastern half of Zimbabwe, north of the Lundi River. The main groupings are the Zezuru, Karanga, Manyika, Tonga-Korekore, and Ndau. Shona manShona healer dressed in traditional costume, Zimbabwe.Hans Hillewaert.