Who built Great Zimbabwe? And why? - Breeanna Elliott

View full lesson: ed.ted.com/less...
Stretched across a tree-peppered expanse in Southern Africa lies the ruins of Great Zimbabwe, a medieval stone city of astounding wealth. Located in the present-day country of Zimbabwe, it’s the site of the second largest settlement ruins in Africa. But its history is controversial, defined by decades of dispute about who built it and why. Breeanna Elliott explores the mystery of Great Zimbabwe.
Lesson by Breeanna Elliott, directed by JodyPrody.

[@thomasjlongley]

This is honestly one of the best channels on KZbin. Free access to education like this is just wonderful.

[@kme9549]

Thomas James Longley preach!!

[@nathana.4467]

Preach!

[@dreamscapeai7]

Thomas James Longley That's what's KZbin's all about

[@jayfawn8478]

but still lacks technical and specialization that most college students needed.

[@realsandeep]

But everyone follows gaming and entertainment. A normal person working like 8-10 hours per day. They are prefering some entertainment more than knowledge at the end of the day

[@Nino244]

I wish we learned more about african history and archtecture, because I really wish I knew about this earlier!

[@piotrdoomisiewicz1555]

Nienke Timmermans well as long as african countries wont get rich enough to support their own archeologists we wont knew much but i dont think that there is much at all because geography. Africa is basically divided by two great desserts and rainforest and ideas are not spreading if there is no connection betwen people. The only route is by sea so before colonialism there were only arab infliences and it was mostly gold ivory and slaves

[@autarchyan5426]

we wuz kangz and shieet

[@semereabraham6639]

Could you give me a source thatproves the fastest-growing branch of archaeology is in unearthing Arican history.

[@starm6392]

Nowadays in middle school you do.

[@TriggeringOpinionsandFacts]

blkgrlwlking onthewrongside he never said there wasn't African history. He said the history isn't being taught and easily accessed because African geography prevented a lot of historical remembrance and spreading. Then the arabs and Europeans didn't quite help spread these thigns

[@aronastron9538]

-Who built Great Zimbabwe? -Zimbabweans -Why? -To live

[@emaginationproductions]

Thank you for being the voice of reason.

[@newjerseylion4804]

It was the Shona not all Modern day Zimbabweans are descendant of those that built the city. The Matabele came from South Africa.

[@kelvinkeba9936]

@@newjerseylion4804 they still African

[@jacobduggan8008]

@@kelvinkeba9936 That's like saying Germans, French, Dutch, Russians Scandinavian, and English are exactly the same because their all white.

[@shadreckdangaphotography]

Well actually there is no Shona tribe. The kalanga people called the torwa built khami city. They are not identified as Shona. today. The vhenda are descendants of of those that built mapungubwe. There are BakaLanga in KwaZulu . Who are of the same root as the kalanga,Katanga. The Sotho are also related to the Zimbabwes. Well you see the kingdom was bigger than you think. Africans built it. But they definitely had help

[@chiyedzazunzanyika4]

I'm from Zimbabwe... So surprised this channel mentioned us! 💕🙌🏽

[@lilfairyprincess1o1]

Chiyedza Zunzanyika same lmao. Zimbabwe is so unpopular in the media tbh and this was surprising!

[@noelmahati]

same

[@therealest832]

Same😁

[@RoScFan]

Is there any movement in that country to make it more democratic and more properious? Or do the people there actually like mugabe?

[@JAG8691]

Chiyedza Zunzanyika I loved touring in Zimbabwe,definitely a natural paradise. I don't want to comment on the Politicians because EVERY Country on this Planet is Infested with those Psychopaths.

[@ama4121]

People of Zimbabwe: Our people made this Colonials: UNREALISTIC

[@wmr103088]

AMA Then Who?

[@autarchyan5426]

there were not other similar structures nor cities so it was not realistic

[@q2yogurt]

to be fair considering what they encountered there their pessimism is understandable.

[@kristinaamuan7577]

Lmao, Europeans p much wrote off the native people of my country too, colonialism is really something

[@xxxdroidmonkeyxxx]

I think they thought that because most of Africa consisted of tribes who tended to move around and the ones who were sedentary didn't exactly build up such major metropolises. Keep in mind that when European colonialists entered Sub-Saharan Africa, most of the peoples they encountered were still living in grass huts, hunted with spears and had tiny tribal villages. This was similar to Native American tribes in both Americas. There were less than a half a dozen actual civilizations that had major states, a standard royal hierarchy, powerful military and an intricate currency and trade system. It's easy to call something "racist," but you ignore the entire context of the first encounter and impressions European colonizers had of the natives and their way of life.

[@nyashabryan7751]

I as a Zimbabwean am extremely proud of our culture and heritage.

[@couldbeanybody2508]

No offence but there is literally nothing to be proud of

[@couldbeanybody2508]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYOlc5SmYtJjqrs

[@kaseywatson7281]

@@couldbeanybody2508 Native Africans Built Great Zimbabwe get over it buddy.

[@nikoisinsane]

@@couldbeanybody2508 Can you be a decent human being??

[@Nyatsimba_Mutota]

@@couldbeanybody2508 No offense, you are worthless

[@rutendogomwe1325]

I'm Zimbabwean and it's beautiful to see my history being told. Sadly a lot of African history was lost making it even more important to preserve what we do know. I also really liked the use of mbira music in the background that made the video even more authentic.

[@h.m.5724]

Did you know a lot of countries have stolen Zimbabwean history and claim it yo be theirs. For example mbira instrument has now been renamed kalimba by white people. Secondly, marimba instrument has been stolen by Guatemala government/people as their national instrument and also by South Africans

[@ej4555]

There are a lot of similar but smaller ruins in Zimbabwe, for example the Khami and Ziwa Ruins. The stone ruins from the ancient Kingdom extend to Botswana, Northen part of South Africa and Southern Angola.

[@leedza]

Also Manyikeni in Mozambique close to the coast.

[@jayn8730]

In kenya,we also have a similar structure called Thimlich Ohinga.only that it is smaller

[@couldbeanybody2508]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYOlc5SmYtJjqrs

[@h.m.5724]

It's because all of those countries you mentioned including Mozambique as well were one part of a great empire known as Mutapa / Rozvi

[@tarimuza7779]

i’m actually royalty, in muntoko yes there was stone kingdoms and my mothers great great grandfather was king she is now a princess

[@tatendamapisire1597]

Great Zimbabwe was built by Africans, not Europeans. I don't know why it's a mystery because, across Zimbabwe, there are other stone walls that were built by the indigenous people. Khami, Naletale etc.

[@chanterelle483]

It's not a mystery anymore.

[@NoahBodze]

Arabs. You’ve never built anything before or since. All you did was bring your African slaves to them.

[@justsomerandomdude5379]

Ndotozvishayawo

[@qualiacomposite]

This comment shows racial insecurity more than anything. Nobody alive today disputes that Africans built it, so who are you even arguing against, you goofball?

[@jackkelsey9326]

I don't think that anyone thinks this was built Eurpeons, they assume it was built by Arabs.

[@sabesque6461]

The level of absurdity some went to discredit the indigenous Africans who built Great Zimbabwe. They even claimed it was built by ancient Greeks wtf?

[@makteko]

It seems Africans were always hated just for existing in their own lands.

[@luyandzabavukiledlamini4693]

Well that's racism my friend

[@nilevalleyafrican9451]

They already have a hard time accepting that Egypt in Africa

[@coreylevine8095]

Arabs not Greeks

[@universome511]

Don't you think it's weird there's no other one's in Sub Saharan Africa

[@vvyheur]

YAY! I'm not from Zimbabwe, I'm from Botswana. I'm happy there's a video about one country from Africa.

[@WilliamGarrow]

Spice You should watch this one as well. Enjoy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hWS8e4CXgZpoiq8

[@BlackStarrSoul]

More videos about African history, please! ❤️❤️

[@bionicgoblin3141]

Kexx Petit if your going to be a troll you cant try so hard

[@BlackStarrSoul]

Shotabunny There actually is. Thanks for stopping by, degenerate.

[@angelo7217]

Kodama fool. That's it. End of story. Don't scratch the history too much because you may hear about how they where capturing men of other tribes and selling them to Arabs centuries before "colonialists" arrived. Awkward.

[@augustinedaudu9203]

Angelo De Boni I know right, Africans being equal to Europeans!? So problematic for white supremacists. Can you just believe that Africans had the same desires and interest as every other group of people!?

[@funilast1121]

LOOOOOL INSECURE.

[@maerosss]

Why have I never heard about the Great Zimbabwe? Not even a slightiest mention in my whole life.

[@charmainej4820]

well 😊 a lot of people don't know about this, no one really cares for African History except things concerning Egypt

[@acebalistic1358]

Because the rascist happened to control your school text books

[@andrewlongworth]

If you haven't heard about it, then you've been living under a rock

[@exillens]

@@andrewlongworth What highschool curriculum taught you? What subject and what grade were you in? Or are you saying it's not taught in grade schools like the other historical cities and subjects?

[@andrewlongworth]

@@exillens I have a law degree from Warwick University in the UK .

[@mwenemutapa4474]

As a Zimbabwean I can say that this is surprisingly accurate

[@leonmakief]

Genocide caused the decline of Great Zimbabwe.

[@thechangamire3495]

@@leonmakief ...no. Not at all. The Decline is still debated. Some say the gold trade dried up. More say that a prince found salt in the south and left to conquer it.

[@leonmakief]

@@thechangamire3495 that's what they chose to tell us in our history books brother, that's what I also learnt in school and it didn't make sense that an empire so great could just vanish like that,, gold is still around in abundance in Zimbabwe alone and if you really check with our history as a people, salt was never that essential in our diet,,, the hunters went to hunt without salt,,, I'm also seeking clarity brother

[@sokostina2498]

True, especially the fact that they did their best to discredit the indigenous people. Some even saying it's the Rembas and what not.

[@fightfannerd2078]

@@leonmakief lol no

[@theletterbleeds]

This was great . We need more videos about African history!

[@raa6504]

Fight, fight, fight, poverty, war, war, diamonds, AIDS.

[@streetwind.]

Look up "Extra History" and "Zulu Empire" =) I recommend the entire Exra History playlist, but that particular miniseries is indeed about Africa.

[@theletterbleeds]

+Radu Adrian Oh come on. Africa is not only about that. What about arts, traditions, customs, its languages, clothing, architecture, values, religions, tribes. There is a lot to cover about African history without focusing on war and diseases. Africa is not only war and diseases.

[@darkqueen9134]

indeed

[@Matiburon04]

The european history is Fight, fight, fight, poverty, war, war, iron, plagues, BIGGER WARS

[@EladLerner]

Can't wait for Geography Now to make the Zimbabwe episode!

[@flamixflame2685]

elad lerner that's gonna take a while I'm pretty sure he said he would be finished with all the country's in 2030

[@Filthy.Potato]

I'm Zimbabwean and I watch geography now lol. I cant wait either. I feel like begging them to do 50 episodes a week

[@ANTSEMUT1]

Three years later they are on the S-countries.

[@queenapryllm8454]

It probably another 2 years at least depending how quickly or slowly he gets through the other countries or does filler wrrk countries

[@SL-dr7lp]

The intro - "Great Zimbabwe, a large settlement, second only to the Pyramids of Egypt". This implies only 2 large settlements across the continent when there were many more from Axum (which maintained a continuous Christian civilisation older than most in the West) to Mali (which had more gold reserves than any other kingdom in that era in the world) and others much older. Consider the Nubian pyramids and cities. Everyone knows about Egypt but most don't know that there are more Nubian pyramids than Egyptian pyramids and they were built before Ancient Greece (forget the Roman Empire) even existed. Ancient Greece started around 800BC, Nubia started around 2500BC. Even as Nubia’s influence was declining and Rome was ascending, Rome under Emperor Augustus failed to subjugate Queen/Kandake (Candace) Amanirenas. Back to Great Zimbabwe - I do love the story. It is one of many great civilisations and histories of Africa that has been hidden and forgotten especially in the past 200 years of colonialism. However, this history is being revived. I hope more excavation work can be carried out to demonstrate how vast and advanced Great Zimbwabwe was and its link to another forgotten civilisation further south in Mapungubwe and Manyikeni in the east.

[@asvo7777]

Right and there is still more: - Benin kingdom - Songhai empire - Zulu - Kongo kingdom - Nok culture - Ashanti ...

[@Peecamarke]

I thought they said the second largest “remaining” settlement?

[@madeofscars117]

I took a class on Africa. learned every country and most stuff. But so much you can learn in 4 months. this is neat. You can make entire classes. It would be nice, a lot of people would enjoy it. instead of a crash course I took in college. My professor was from there. Had a lot of great stories

[@Thorite_Gem]

A great meme I saw said this: 'Just because white people couldn't do it doesn't mean it was aliens' It was about the Pyramids, but I feel like it applies to this, too

[@Crashed131963]

The video did not show what they built so we can see what their talking about. In 1850 Dr.David Livingstone was one of the first whites to explore the region. The Zulus were top dog and only had Huts ,animal skin shields and stone spears. How do people evolve backwards?

[@vdotkog7126]

@@Crashed131963 A lot of western policies are cyclical. And do seem to evolve backwards in the name of progress. Thus it's not a stretch that they might change their preferred way of living to what you view as backwards. Also the video says that by staying in one place the soil became overused in that great city and they had to move. Perhaps they moved to building huts as way of having an easily built city that can be abandoned when the environment was suboptimal. Some thoughts.......

[@Crashed131963]

@@vdotkog7126 I did google the ruins , yes they are impressive stone brick work.

[@vdotkog7126]

@@Crashed131963 brain still on previous point. The medieval period "dark ages" of Europe is a good example also. You had the ancient ruins of Greeks and Romans in modern day Greece and Italy. Which was built by the people and also most of their knowledge especially with respect to medicine was lost before the renaissance. During these times Europe evolved backwards too.

[@Crashed131963]

@@vdotkog7126 There's also (Stand still) Look at Afghanistan. If you time travel back to 600AD you would not know the difference compared to today.

[@dominican5683]

Africa has so many untold stories around ancient monuments and ancient cultures...really wish archeologists would spend more time in Africa looking for lost and forgotten civilizations...

[@fivecinco5923]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/inTUn6OglrCDidk There is an old African civilization that disappeared more than 22,000 years ago because of the Nyiragongo volcano. Belgian archaeologists have found instruments that were used for daily calculations. Belgian scientists have work on these bones of baboons with notches that showed the first calculations of numerical sequences in the history of humanity.

[@benjaminlamptey1867]

I'm surprised that Great Zimbabwe wasn't burned to the ground by Colonialists, as most African cities were in the past. Probably just because it'd been abandoned.

[@couldbeanybody2508]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/hYOlc5SmYtJjqrs

[@couldbeanybody2508]

@Alex Libman click the link and watch the video💀

[@couldbeanybody2508]

@Malusi Ndlozi I used to be against colonialism until I heard about Rhodesia

[@AskiyaIshaq20]

@@couldbeanybody2508 it's not even a source it's just a video 😩🤣

[@couldbeanybody2508]

@@AskiyaIshaq20 lmao ok but was anything in the video false?

[@arshad887]

I love that they referred to the colonists as racist

[@PikaPluff]

I guess being racist is partially due to human nature.

[@arshad887]

UUhm where am I opposing it? Did you read my comment?

[@PikaPluff]

I’m just saying that the first colonisers looked at people with dark skin for the first time, so you can understand why. Black colonisers would also be possible if they had the means to do so. I’m not saying racism is good though.

[@arshad887]

Don't even try to reason colonisation.

[@IB_info]

Yes they were, even more than the present day racist, blacks were not allowed to go to town all walk on the pavement.

[@AnuarAzar]

I can't believe I never heard of this city before

[@AgglomeratiProduzioni]

When someone tells you that a civilization needs to be alphabetized in order to be considered literate, remember them the Iliad has been orally passed down for centuries! ;-)

[@sceerane8662]

You should also remember that the Greeks and their Mycenean ancestors had an alphabet and books while they were singing the iliad (Though perhaps not that entire period, Writing is still important as it allows for far far more reliable record keeping)

[@werewolf2969]

Norman Crusader yeah I don’t think it’s full proof of civilization but helps civilization develop much more also let me guess your from England

[@covenawhite4855]

@@sceerane8662 Oral Records may change over time from telling to telling. BUT it is possible to lie while writing books for propaganda purposes while a lot of book sources are accurate to the time. Oral records should be a valid source put below written sources, and archeological sources before written.

[@ANTSEMUT1]

@@covenawhite4855 that's not always true about Oral histories, quite a few are surprisingly accurate.

[@matheuroux5134]

@@sceerane8662 Also remember that the Greeks did not invent writing themselves, they merely inherited it from the Phoenicians due to proximity.

[@ambernguyen6814]

What if the city is underground and Black Panther is there ruling them

[@NeoShameMan]

If you google for the Kamba (also known as wakamba) you are in for the surprise of your life

[@marianaABC904]

Ted Ed you have no idea how happy I get when I see a video from your channel in my subscription box. You really make learning different topics so interesting. Thank you for the great work!!

[@victor9]

The Aztec and the Incas built stone Cities too. Why is it so hard to believe that Africans did the same

[@adzxyz1950]

Probably because they had never experienced an African Sub Saharan empire on a comparable size to the European ones. While the Spanish were cruel conquerors, they couldn't deny that the Incan and Aztec Empires were... actual empires

[@weego2585]

@@adzxyz1950 Probably true, the closest to that would’ve been the Empire of Mali and Abyssinia

[@user-de4iv9hj6p]

@@weego2585 there are wayyy more examples than just those two.

[@user-de4iv9hj6p]

@@adzxyz1950 curious, what defines an "actual empire"?

[@JcoleMc]

@@weego2585 kingdom of kongo and kingdom of mutatpa had iron workings , textiles and naval vessels

[@feonadabson2109]

Im so happy you did a video on Zimbabwe. my parents are from Zimbabwe and world history class seemed to just skip over the country itself. nice to set the records straight.

[@charmainej4820]

if your parents are from Zimbabwe doesn't that make you Zimbabwean? ?😕😕😕

[@tembe2638]

i used to live 15km away from the great zimbabwe ruins, it is truly a marvel to watch and there are numerous ruins like these in zim abeit at a smaller scale which were built by break away states like the mutapa and rozvi state

[@kiuk_kiks]

Why didn’t it exist till the colonisers came?

[@Fluxxxx]

@@kiuk_kikswhat? Lol. It existed it just wasn’t inhabited and was yet to be ‘discovered’ and told to the rest of the world. That’s like saying Native Americans didn’t exist till white people came. What?

[@pureone8350]

​@@kiuk_kiksWhat are you talking about?

[@kiuk_kiks]

@@pureone8350 They abandoned their old cities and town, didn’t build them or maintain them till the colonisers came which gave them the opportunity to deny them their own cultural heritage instead. The colonisers claimed that other white people or king Solomon of the bible along with other nonsensical myths and legends are responsible for ruins built by the native Bantus who lived there.

[@nqobaniitaidube5582]

I'm Zimbabwean!

[@jjea9610]

winton navio me to 🇿🇼💯

[@marcooosbibendorsht1334]

Where you born there, or do you live there right now?

[@shumi3735]

Proudly so!

[@damilolaodebode8843]

It’s alway everybody but the Africans isn’t it.

[@tristynh9596]

Awesome! My world history students will love this. Thank you!

[@Luke-jo2xi]

Tristyn Salmons your too pretty to be a teacher

[@tristynh9596]

Luken Brown ??? What's that suppose to mean? According to you, what should I be doing?

[@mrxx7471]

@@tristynh9596 Working your corner

[@mrxx7471]

@@Luke-jo2xi You flirting with a lady little boy? You look 10 nikka

[@obscurity6558]

I would have never guessed that Europeans would have discredited such as city. They never did terrible things during the scramble for Africa!

[@midnightsloth1643]

NobleRomanOwl 86 He's being sarcastic

[@sarah-jaynemcdonald2594]

NobleRomanOwl 86 i think that's what you call sarcasm.

[@SirThanksalot_1]

NobleRomanOwl 86, shouldn't his nickname ring a bell?

[@Suryapoosarla]

ya they did that to indus valley civilization too and they faced consequences in the name of aryan theory...

[@suicaedere7244]

voltaren The fact that someone shit on your doorsteps once doesn't mean that you shitting on other people doorsteps is somehow less bad. Is just equally terrible.

[@tulkmunny]

Thank you for using mbira music...

[@xmarie44x]

Bruh, the Queen of Sheba was from Ethiopia, if they read the bible they would know that

[@speedspeed121]

Trump built the walls

[@zajigirl]

Yemen was a part of Ethiopian territory. Ethiopia ruled up to modern day Gaza. Actually rightful owners of Palestine are the Ethiopians..

[@obiwahndagobah9543]

Geneticists and Archaologist have shown that at the supposed time of Queen Sheba, a good amount of Near Easterners (from Palestine) wandered to Ethiopia and mixed with the locals. So it seems there was really a lot of contact between these kingdoms

[@Tsumami__]

zajigirl nobody owns any land, if fools would get that through their heads, wars would cease

[@Tsumami__]

Khrys-Marie McBean Bruh, the Bible is not a reliable historical source.

[@sitas9827]

I never knew of this! Thank you, Ted Ed!

[@rossplendent]

In Civilization 6, constructing Great Zimbabwe grants extra gold to your trade routes. I ended up with newly twice the income of the next richest empire and rolled the competition.

[@freeross371]

Haha nice

[@Lucuskane]

without Ted ed, I would have gone the grave without ever knowing this

[@WilliamGarrow]

Lucus Kane You should watch a documentary called Africa's great civilzations. Six parts but really worth watching.

[@wisdomguveya3728]

zim represent thank u ted ed for well thought out research ...and the mbira playing in the background was an amazing touch from a proud Zimbabwean

[@YellowSynth]

Zimbabweans built great zimbabwe using Vibration and Sound technology. It wasn't built by hands but by sound technology and vibration big difference

[@sebzhamatv]

They are not ready for that conversation

[@subice2158]

Very fascinating! I think we'd all love more videos on African history! Never really knew any of this.

[@rebelbeammasterx8472]

The animation is so beautiful.

[@nuevevientos8332]

I’m Mexican, I love the history of Zimbabwe. Thanks to my professor at University of California, Santa Bárbara

[@mojosbigsticks]

A beautiful country, I hope more people will see it one day.

[@user-ln9yx2eu8l]

This was great! Please do more videos on ancient Africa!

[@aGr3atD4y]

What great ingenuity from the peoples of Africa. I can understand why they are so proud of it!

[@jaredblood5384]

I never even heard of this until now!

[@nikhiliyengar1510]

You guys should do the Indus Valley Civilisation.

[@nathaliasilva2166]

It's always such a thrill to watch the videos on historic achievements not usually talked about. Specially political and cultural ones from Africa and Latin America!

[@penzancegunner857]

Your comment is so sugary and sweet!

[@cousinchris5851]

What's the reasoning behind Europeans hating on Africans so hard?

[@davidasamikwa8037]

Jealousy.

[@addisonheddins]

Cousin Chris maybe the white genocide that is still happening today there? Seems like a solid reason.

[@3uujh656]

Addison Heddins Troll.

[@WilliamGarrow]

Addison Heddins Fake news.

[@sjappiyah4071]

It’s not just Europeans it’s all other races, people are just afraid of darkness

[@RamiShreds]

Your videos are a treat to both the mind and the senses

[@therichchronicles1249]

I'm from Zimbambwe, love the mbira tunes in the background. I was born in Masvingo where the great Zimbambwe is

[@blessingmasawi3616]

Madzimbahwe!

[@astoncopallo7489]

What an incredibly interesting story I always love learning about amazing things people accomplished in the past especially when I have never heard of it before great stuff guys👍🏻

[@jessicag630]

They refused to believe that non-white peoples were capable to build magnificent building and to have advanced civilization. "Caton Thompson used ceramics, which were similar to what modern villagers were using, and structures like terrace walls to determine who built the structures from the site. Working with Kathleen Kenyon, Caton Thompson's excavations led her to the unequivocal view that Zimbabwe was the product of a "native civilisation". The assertion attracted considerable negative press attention and was received negatively by many within the archaeological community. Caton Thompson claimed to keep hostile letters from local experts in a file marked "insane". " From Wikipedia

[@GabrielNicho]

Nah, it's just logic. Why would they just randomly build one stone fortress and then never build anything out of stone again? And just live in mud huts. Also, we know from modern DNA testing that the Lemba has middle eastern ancestry, how did they get that? Also the stone altar at the place suggest Middle Eastern origin, not local African religion.

[@lex_thedestroyer]

@@GabrielNicho Mud huts provide more insulation than stone. People have mixed ancestry because, and hear me out here, not everyone has babies with people who are just like them!! I know, shocking.

[@GabrielNicho]

@@lex_thedestroyer These people have mixed ancestry because they mixed thousands of years ago though =P

[@ruvarashedahwa]

I'm Zimbabwean and this video is awesome!😄

[@TasaRika]

Thanks Ted-Ed for this! I'm glad that part of my country's history is being shared with the world! :)

[@thegoodlydragon7452]

Seriously though, Europe is speckled all over with just the most amazing architecture, and all sorts of developments. The best sub-Saharan Africa before contact can boast is a little walled town.

[@damianshirishama3918]

If it was a little walled town then why did the Europeans think the Ancient Greeks built it??

[@yungslash8616]

The Egyptian pyramids?Nubian pyramids? Nubian castles? Benin walls? Tanzanian complex? All this architecture was built by sub Saharan Africans and far exceeds that of Europe lmao the Zimbabwe walls was just one of them

[@maapauu4282]

The best European architecture pre-African contact was a fancy hill graveyard so...

[@thegoodlydragon7452]

@@maapauu4282 Kidding, bro? Notre Dame cathedral.

[@maapauu4282]

@@thegoodlydragon7452 Yes but even the Ancient Greeks went to the Arab world and extended into Sub-Saharan African Ideas, and the Notre Dame was way after that. Also, it's much easier to build somewhere where you can find a lot of resources than somewhere where you have to complete so many tasks to just find one resource. Also, have you ever heard of the Great mud mosque?

[@tadiwa2k11]

I have hopes that one day Zimbabwe will be considered great again, i feel until we lose our dictator and get a less corrupt government in power things might start to look up, cant really do that with a 90+ year old dictator tho...

[@TheAlppi]

"Racist colonial officials" The word racist has experienced such an inflation, in my books, it carries no weight whatsoever. Especially here it's completely unnecessary to use the word. Who on Earth wasn't racist before globalization started to take over in the 20th century?

[@mbormann6046]

Wow! They actual stacked some rocks!! Truely amazing and so much better than the usual mud and sticks.

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

Year also belt in total more than 1500 roads, monuments , platforms, canals that span more than 2km , cities and towns.... etc using rocks

[@jhelm1712]

These were no cities , Massive villages . Portuguese have a role in the creation of this during there times of trade ..Strong evidence shows the time line directly with trade with the Portuguese , same as Benin, During the Portuguese trades ...

[@admirekashiri6651]

The structure predates Portuguese awareness of southern Africa let alone them stepping foot there get real.

[@Fluxxxx]

What strong evidence? The ramblings of delusional colonialists?

[@bigniper]

I went to Rhodesia in the 60's to see the Ruins of Zimbabwe. In 2000 i went to Zimbabwe and saw the Ruins of Rhodesia.

[@rachelchelly243]

I'm zimbabwean 100% and this is a lovely video. So nice to know that we mean something deep to Africa and historical factors :)

[@gojira4036]

Who built Great Zimbabwe? *The People who lived there* Why? *To live there*

[@filipporiva1864]

0:42 so basically this is the city where attack on titan took place

[@cjwms7279]

The Great Zimbabwe never wanted to be Rhodesian.

[@sergilazi9179]

The only special thing is that it was build in Africa while in Eurpoe, Asia or The Middle East centuries ago the ruins would be considered just a petty lordship

[@hazzmati]

hahha don't pretty pathethic this is the most impresive things they could do a video on, bagdad a few centures before was 20 times more impressive than this african site before the mongols destroyed it

[@ManMan-ko7ll]

Without the Middle East you Northern Europeans would still either be in the Bronze Age or in the Stone Age, you’re probably descendants from the Northern Europeans and without the early Greeks (Mycenaeans) your family would be hunting animals with stone arrows and spears.

[@flyingsnake3737]

If you feel such a great contempt for a subject or historical facts and its people, why come to a video to say inane things ? I find it pretty interesting that a lot of people hate Africa for some reason but when someone post a video about anything going on there people come to trash it in droves. They cant even claim is Afrocentrism as the research is being done mostly by white people if not all. Not even because thats the case they will believe it. Why do some people have a problem with historic facts of certain groups ? Its appalling.

[@werewolf2969]

U have a good point but some Africans like claiming Africa was just as advanced as europe. Though some areas were advanced like the northern the horn and the west the south as a whole didn’t even have many kingdoms

[@laylabasai6197]

Were Wolf there were kingdoms in west Africa, like Mali, Songhai, Benin, Wolof, and more.

[@werewolf2969]

Layla Basai look up Africa 1880 a lot of it is stil empty

[@laylabasai6197]

Were Wolf I just looked it up and it didn’t look that empty to, it actually looked quite full.

[@werewolf2969]

Layla Basai compare it to Europe and Asia and it’s empty. Half of it has no kingdom’s

[@gustavolrcoelho]

I did not even knew that this existed. Great video!

[@trivagravia4837]

I believe Zimbabweans are way too smart people...and such stone structures are scattered through out Zimbabwe like Khami Ruins, Dhlodhlo ruins and so on, proving that it was the locals who built those structures...the civilization of Zimbabwe was disturbed and polluted by colonialism..l believe Zimbabweans would have discovered electricity on their own if they had not been colonised....

[@Colmcille_]

No, that is not how that works at all. And absolutely not how it happened.

[@KINGPHANTOMw85]

@@Colmcille_ We don't need you a white man to tell us anything because you've done nothing but lie and deceive since you been here

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

@@Colmcille_ uhmmm you do know there are people still living there right e.g nyahokwe, domboshava

[@viviannenieves7832]

I love all your new stories on Africa, can you make similar video's on Latin America?

[@sophiejones7727]

the coolest place nobody ever talks about :(. Thanks TED-ED, moar plz!

[@weltgeist2604]

Wow it's so impressive that people could build such large stone walls back in the 11th century! Great Zimbabwe rivals everything we see in Classical Greece and Ancient China.

[@Daniel-um6vy]

Better than vikings or most of europeans did independently.

[@priyanshsahay3573]

Man The Asian civilizations were far ahead of European and African ones for most of history

[@treve.mp3]

Love this video, I'm actually Zimbabwean

[@MultiSciGeek]

This was really interesting. Thanks for covering all these diverse topics

[@benh715]

18,000 people? Small town I’d say.

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

You could be right great Zimbabwe was not the largest city at its time . I'm actually shocked that people till this day do not know this it was a sister city to mapungubwe. Great Zimbabwe building started around 900A.D. Mapungubwe if not 800A.D Both of their peaks where around 10th - 11th century.

[@dayandlight111]

​@@shanewalkingdead8258 what is the population estimate for mapungubwe?

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

@@dayandlight111 like 5 000 year still by todays standards is a small town a village is between 500 to 2500 people todays standards anything above that its a small town.

[@Fluxxxx]

What do you think the population of the earth was at that time?

[@whyismyricewet1986]

they have ruins just like that in the Scottish isles, nobody is calling them "great cities of outstanding wealth and prestige"

[@MonDieuMaCauseMonEpee]

They should. What are they called?

[@whyismyricewet1986]

@@MonDieuMaCauseMonEpee hill forts, great Zimbabwe has the same architecture. It does not deserve the praise it gets

[@alexanderi1183]

@@whyismyricewet1986 and those stone forts didn't even came from Africa, but the Arabs who were enslaving them.

[@alexanderi1183]

@@MonDieuMaCauseMonEpee Celtic Ireland had 26,000 castles, but no one I calling medieval Ireland a great civilization.

[@whyismyricewet1986]

@@alexanderi1183 indeed

[@jessicasharma4836]

zimbabwe ... a settlement worth a visit now ;)

[@NefatiousK]

I don't think it can be compared to the pyramids, which has existed much the same for thousands of years. This is the very little remnants of a village made of stone, only remarkable because it was unknown for so long and out of place in Southern Africa. If it were on another continent, be that mainland Asia or Europe, it would be fairly insignificant.

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

Realy a place constructed in 900AD that stretches out on area of 700hectares just continues for 7km2. You are b* and mourning about it because you are bitter you would not be saying nonscence.

[@КостяЛопунов]

There is an interesting documentary called "Forgotten children of Zimbabwe"

[@ReallyGoodBadBoy]

This is really cool to learn about, and put into perspective! Great Zimbabwe took 500 years to build circular walls of stacked stones! That really is astonishing how much time and effort was put into constructing this giant pile of rocks. The beauty is the simplicity. During the same time period the Alcázar of Segovia was built in less than 30 years, with functional gatehouses, conical towers, a spired keep reaching towards the heavens on a cliff edge, internal sewage systems, crop rotation farming, and an incredible feat of engineering that is still standing to this day almost 1,000 years later. What a enlightening and educating video, thank you TED! 🤓🧠📖

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

Let me stop you there so 700+ hectares of continual walled city larger than mordern day Monaco is not impressive. Be mad stay mad . Incase you are as incompetent as the people in this comment section 700hectares if converted to km2 is 7km2.

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

Settled in 500AD . The building started in 900AD and the walls span in a area of 7km2/ 700hectares larger than mordern day Monaco. That is impressive so stay mad be mad.

[@user-de4iv9hj6p]

@@shanewalkingdead8258 they'll come up with anything to downplay African achievements, and then when they can't do that they'll claim it wasn't actually Africans. No winning with fools like them

[@ReallyGoodBadBoy]

@@user-de4iv9hj6p I have absolutely no doubt this monument was built by sub sharan Africans at all! I actually said it is really incredible they spent 400+ years to construct the worlds largest pile of rocks! Most impressive.

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

@@ReallyGoodBadBoy it did not take 400years the construction began in 900 and ended around 1000AD. It's peak was in the 1100AD its down fall was 1200AD . It was never completely abandoned heck even today there is a community of more than a thousand karanga people still living there. Great Zimbabwe is not even the largest of all the zimbabwean shona monuments

[@mumemic]

If I could time travel Great Zimbabwe would be my first destination for sure

[@chocolatemoose7761]

Really cool! Thanks.

[@willhiggins9563]

History books could really use more world history like this. Why do we have to choose between learning one part of history or the other?

[@charlesmoyo632]

My country on TED-Ed. Awesome!

[@CyanTigerReigns]

Has the shortest channel name but has the most information. KEEP IT UP, TED-ED!

[@Harley411]

turns out that to be a great countries

[@comegdjeja6557]

doni zetta Zimbabwe sucks

[@mescalinipomoea953]

We need more Aztec history

[@birricforcella5459]

The flag is now a symbol of how far once mighty Rhodesia has fallen . . .

[@lifessmalladventures2958]

Yee, Africa

[@exmythos7318]

maybe some of them saw the Great Wall of China and were like : "A great wall?Ha,hold my beer ..."

[@tfa4782]

Thank you for pronouncing the names correctly

[@swimmad456]

Wow. Greater Zimbabwe was built around the time the English were building Salisbury Cathedral. Amazing. Perhaps the enclosures were also used to keep slaves before they were sold to the Arabs. The commentary forgot to include that. Amazing.

[@user-de4iv9hj6p]

what a random rant

[@jopieachterhoek3874]

there is always someone mentioning slavery when it comes to African history while forgetting that Europeans have been enslaving each other for much longer like: spartans enslaving every Helot they could find, Vikings enslaving the British, the Ottomans enslaving arabs and east Europeans and selling them to other arabs who sold it again to north and west Africans. There a probably more examples out there but I keep it at this at the moment.

[@danielburger1775]

The reality is nobody had ever heard of "Zimbabwe" until thd late 1800s. It was during this time that the Late Victorian "explorers" were "discovering" things, everything from "lost civilizations" to "religious artifacts" to "dinosaur remains". In this way, an entirely fictitious "history" was FABRICATED by people wanting to 'go down in history' as "great discoverers". Who built "Great Zimbabwe?" is the wrong question to ask. The correct question to ask is "When did anyone FIRST become aware that it ever existed at all?" And, this is far from unique. Other "Lost Civilizations" like Macchu Pichu, Angkor Wat are also "discoveries" from the Victorian/Edwardian Era. "Discovered" that is by the very people who built them...

[@nouhowlmao2809]

Are you saying people expend millions building machu pichu only to claim they discover it? At that point why would they not claim they build the impressive city to actually own it?

[@danielburger1775]

@@nouhowlmao2809 It was the "Age of Discovery". Brave adventurers and explorers "discovered" "ancient and medieval civilisations never before known". As for why.. 1) The person who "discovered" it would go down in history. Their name would never be forgotten 2) $$$$ Money. They made a fortune off gullible tourists, collectors etc.

[@nouhowlmao2809]

@@danielburger1775 except discovering something didn't give you the right to owning it? It was an american from Yale that discover and he didn't get rich of Machu Pichu if he was in it for tourism money why would the peruvian goverment not discover it themselfs since they actually profit from it?

[@danielburger1775]

@@nouhowlmao2809 They weren't interested. But finding DID give ownership. People would "discover", say tombs full of artifacts. They'd keep most of the artifacts, and sell them to museums and private collectors. Then leave a few for the local museum. The turning point was Tutankhamen. After Carter "discovered" the tomb, the Egyptian government claimed all the artifacts, as it was Egyptian. The financial backers lost a fortune, and so people were taken out(the so-called Mummy's Curse). After that, the Age of European explorers "discovering" things in foreign lands was pretty much over. But, it was replaced by local people "discovering" modern-day forgeries, mostly in China, Israel, and indeed Egypt.

[@nouhowlmao2809]

@@danielburger1775 .... honest question where did you come up with this? Are you a christian that believes the world is only 6000 years old? or is it a "the elites control the world so this fact is actually fake" like the flat earth theory?

[@GabrielNicho]

Some problems with the theory that Africans built Great Zimbabwe: 1. If Africans built this stone fortress, why did they never build anything else out of stone, and just live in mud huts? And just abandon it and let it go to ruin? It's basically the only stone building around down there. 2. Stone altar is in line with Middle Eastern sacrifice culture, but not African culture. 3. Lemba people has been shown to have middle eastern ancestry...I wonder how they got that lol

[@dickhardpicard]

Lemba people are part of the original 12 tribes of Israel.

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

You do know it's not just great Zimbabwe there are about 500 of these cities from different time periods the monuments alone are more than 1500.

[@GabrielNicho]

@@shanewalkingdead8258 And where would those be?

[@shanewalkingdead8258]

@@GabrielNicho there are places like domboshawa east of harare people still live there, there is nyahokwe village great example people still live there. You think that a civilisation with more than 4 empires that existed before the advent of colonisation would just disintegrate with out a trace. What's wrong with you people there are thousands upon thousands of these structures in Zimbabwe some but few still inhabited. Heck even at the great Zimbabwe site there is a village is a community of more than a thousand karanga people still living in there at great Zimbabwe before the end of the tour you get to see them and buy stuff from them live clay pots, stone art etc... I saw it on the news about a month ago France will be helping unearth the structure that is great Zimbabwe. I find it quite strange why the obsession with great Zimbabwe when it was not even the largest or smallest or the oldest or the youngest whats wrong with you people.

[@GabrielNicho]

@@shanewalkingdead8258 I googled that place and see no stone structures there?

[@mrfeather5038]

I love Ted ed, I even signed up for daily emails on their new videos. On their website. Thank you Ted-Ed, I have learned a lot!

[@eocalive]

always here for the more knowledge thank you ted ed

[@briankanyenda6087]

proud being a Zimbabwean

[@Numero103]

make zimbabwe great again

[@germanking123kingsdo5]

Hallo I'm from Germany and I like africa so much it's nice especially southafrica and mabungybwe

[@dann_mrtins]

Hello