Great Zimbabwe

We visited the Great Zimbabwe ruins today just outside of Masvingo.  The ruins were built around 1100AD and were constructed of stones stacked on top of each other without the use of mortar or cement to hold them together.  Much of the Great Enclosure structure is still standing today.  Little is known about the specific uses of the structure throughout history or the architects who designed and built it.  The ruins were actually named ‘Great Zimbabwe’ even before the country adopted this name.  The acropolis of the monument also has statues of birds that have become the national emblem of Zimbabwe.