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Great Zimbabwe's Mambo Dandaro and the Gold Weights Scandal
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a forgotten economic crisis at Great Zimbabwe: the gold weights scandal of the late 13th century. They focus on Mambo Dandaro, a ruler who confronted systemic fraud in the gold trade that threatened the kingdom's reputation with Swahili Coast merchants. The conversation covers the muraya trade corridors from Great Zimbabwe to Sofala, the role of the nganga in verifying gold purity, and the introduction of standardized soapstone weights stamped with the Zimbabwe bird. They discuss how Dandaro's reforms—including public weight inspections and…
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