Great Zimbabwe's water

Abstract

Once a thriving center with commercial links to the Indian Ocean, what remains of Great Zimbabwe is its monumental architecture. Its rise and decline have long been linked to environmental changes in southern Zimbabwe, beginning in the second half of the 13th century with agropastoralists thriving in the region's well-watered granite hills and valleys, and culminating in a vast urban and trading society. Later, c.1550 AD, it is argued, drying climate, land overexploitation, and changing regional trading patterns would lead to the decline of Great Zimbabwe. A review of this model is necessary since Great Zimbabwe and communities living around it survive in a region constantly threatened by water crises. However, we still know very little on the forms and uses of water and how these have influenced its development and demise. This article offers a multilayered review of available information on water, including new records on environmental sequences, modern water sources, and provisioning models from in and around Great Zimbabwe. The integration of both old and new datasets allows us to follow the history of people-water interaction from early times to the present. We argue that understanding of the local environment was vital in managing both water excesses and shortages in the past, and show that some of this knowledge survives among indigenous communities linked to the site and living in the surrounding landscape. While nearby Masvingo town has persistently lived under water-emergency conditions, farmers around Great Zimbabwe mitigate shortfalls of modern water provision through a balanced and mutually vital interaction with natural water resources such as springs and soil moisture.

When theory meets praxis – enhancing heritage management through practice-led research at Great Zimbabwe World Heritage property

“…This project looked at the role of water in the development and demise of Great Zimbabwe. This project was comprised of local and international researchers with an interest in the history of people and water interaction (see Musindo, 2019;Pikirayi et al, 2016). Other members took part in a project that was instigated by a consortium of researchers from the University of Cape Town who explored ancient materials, craft production and technologies associated with the ancient inhabitants of Great Zimbabwe (Bandama et al, 2016).…”

Africa, the Cradle of Human Diversity

“…In addition, the Great Zimbabwe area is relatively well favoured by Zimbabwe's savanna climate rainfall, which is often unpredictable. Much of the rain comes in the form of mist, locally known as guti, which, together with its numerous natural springs, make the Great Zimbabwe area a water-rich landscape that supports the production of grain and other crops (Bannerman, 1982;Pikirayi et al, 2016). This microclimate sustains deciduous miombo savanna woodlands, which would have been exploited by its populations for timber, medicines, domestic fuel and, importantly, charcoal for metallurgical activities .…”

Diversity and Variability in the Preindustrial Iron-Smelting Technologies of Great Zimbabwe, Southern Africa

“…In addition, the Great Zimbabwe area is relatively well favoured by Zimbabwe's savanna climate rainfall, which is often unpredictable. Much of the rain comes in the form of mist, locally known as guti, which, together with its numerous natural springs, make the Great Zimbabwe area a water-rich landscape that supports the production of grain and other crops (Bannerman, 1982;Pikirayi et al, 2016). This microclimate sustains deciduous miombo savanna woodlands, which would have been exploited by its populations for timber, medicines, domestic fuel and, importantly, charcoal for metallurgical activities (Ndoro, 2001).…”

“…It is located on the west site of a huge granite boulder about eighty metres from Chebopopo stream. There are also a couple of perennial natural springs in the vicinities of the site (Pikirayi et al, 2016), which would have been critical for agricultural and domestic consumption, but also iron production activities in the past. Intra-site surveys at Boroma site identified two distinct activity areas -iron smelting and smithing locations, the latter in association with house foundations.…”