Great Zimbabwe's Decline: Drought, Disease, and Displacement

Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History · Sep 6, 2026 · 7m · transcript

For over four centuries, Great Zimbabwe was the thriving heart of a vast trading empire, but by the early 15th century, its massive stone walls began to fall silent. In this episode, we explore the complex web of environmental and social factors that led to the city's abandonment. We look at paleoclimatological evidence pointing to severe droughts in the region, which would have devastated the cattle herds that formed the backbone of the local economy. We also examine how shifting trade routes away from the interior towards the Portuguese-controlled coast may have drained the city of its…