Great Zimbabwe's Ivory Trade: Elephant Hunting and the Indian Ocean

Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History · May 7, 2026 · 5m · transcript

Long before gold made Great Zimbabwe famous, ivory was the kingdom's first great export. This episode traces the rise of the ivory trade from the 11th century, when Swahili merchants from Kilwa and Sofala first made contact with the Shona plateau. Lucas and Luna explore how elephant hunting became a specialized craft, with Shona hunters using trained dogs and iron-tipped spears. They discuss the social status of hunters, the role of the Mambo in controlling trade routes, and how ivory connected Great Zimbabwe to India, China, and the Middle East. Along the way, they examine the…