Shows / Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Perched on a windswept plateau in southern Africa, Great Zimbabwe stands as the continent's most monumental pre-colonial stone city — a testament to the ingenuity of the Shona civilization that built it between the 11th and 15th centuries. This show, hosted by Lucas and Luna, delves into the rise of the Kingdom of Zimbabwe, from its origins as a modest ironworking settlement to its zenith as a trading power whose gold and ivory reached as far as China and Persia. We explore the architectural…
Episodes
Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo HistoryGreat Zimbabwe's Stranger King: The Mbire Takeover
When Great Zimbabwe fell around 1450, its stone halls didn't stay empty for long. A new group—the Mbire—moved in, claiming the title of Mambo and the…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Lost Gold Mines: The Untold Story
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the mysterious gold mines that powered Great Zimbabwe's economy and trade networks. They delve into the ancient…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Mwari Oracle: Prophecy and Politics
Great Zimbabwe's spiritual life was far more complex than a simple worship of kings. At the heart of Shona religion was the Mwari cult, an oracle system…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Soapstone Birds of Great Zimbabwe: Sacred Messengers
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the iconic soapstone birds of Great Zimbabwe, delving into their craftsmanship, symbolism, and the mystery surrounding…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Great Enclosure: Architecture of Power
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the Great Enclosure of Great Zimbabwe, the largest ancient structure in sub-Saharan Africa. They discuss its conical…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Dhlandhlo: The Sacred Dance of Kingship
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dhlandhlo, the sacred dance of the Mambo of Great Zimbabwe. More than just entertainment, this ritual was a vital…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Legacy: What Really Happened After the Fall
What happened to Great Zimbabwe after its decline? In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the aftermath of the stone city's fall. They discuss the…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Swahili Coast Partners
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore Great Zimbabwe's deep ties to the Swahili Coast trading cities, especially Sofala and Kilwa. They discuss the gold…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Queen of the Rozvi: The Story of Mambo Barwa
In the early 18th century, as the Rozvi Empire rose from the ashes of Great Zimbabwe, a remarkable woman seized power and became the first and only female…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Ivory Trade: Elephant Hunting and the Indian Ocean
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…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Water Secrets: The Mystery of the Sunken Wells
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore a little-known aspect of Great Zimbabwe: its sophisticated water management system. They dive into the sunken wells…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Soapstone Birds: Symbolism and Mystery
Lucas and Luna explore the enigmatic soapstone birds of Great Zimbabwe, discovered in the late 19th century. They discuss how these carved birds, perched on…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Gold: The Global Trade Network That Built an Empire
This episode explores the vast gold trade that fueled Great Zimbabwe's rise from the 11th to 15th centuries. Lucas and Luna trace the journey of gold from…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Sacred King: Power and Ritual of the Mambo
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the spiritual and political institution of the Mambo (king) at Great Zimbabwe. They discuss how the…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Ironworkers: The Secrets of Ancient Metallurgy
While Great Zimbabwe is famous for its towering stone walls, the kingdom's wealth was built on iron. This episode explores the sophisticated ironworking…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Lost City: The Fall of the Torwa Dynasty
In the 15th century, as Great Zimbabwe declined, a new kingdom rose in the southwest: the Torwa state, centered at Khami. This episode explores the Torwa…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Forgotten Farmers: The Agrarian Revolution
We often think of Great Zimbabwe as a city of stone and gold, but its foundation was agriculture. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the farming practices…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Mwari Cult: Great Zimbabwe's Hidden Religion
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the spiritual heart of the Kingdom of Great Zimbabwe: the Mwari cult. They delve into how this…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Portuguese Siege of Masangano: Great Zimbabwe's Final Stand
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic Portuguese siege of Masangano in 1633, a pivotal moment that led to the collapse of the Mutapa Empire and…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Lemba and the Lost Ark of Great Zimbabwe
Episode 19 of Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone takes a fresh look at the Lemba, a southern African people who claim Jewish ancestry and…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Mambo: The Sacred Kings Who Ruled the Stone Kingdom
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the institution of the Mambo—the sacred hereditary kings who governed Great Zimbabwe and later Shona states. Drawing on…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Cattle Economy: Wealth on the Hoof
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the central role of cattle in the economy and society of Great Zimbabwe. While gold and ivory trade with the Swahili…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Last Queen: The Female Mambo Who Defied the Portuguese
When the Portuguese arrived on the Zimbabwe Plateau in the 16th century, they encountered a powerful female ruler known to traders as Queen Barwa. This episode…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Gold Trade That Built Great Zimbabwe
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the economic engine behind Great Zimbabwe's rise: the gold trade. They trace how gold from the Zimbabwe plateau…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Mwari Cult and the Rise of the Rozvi Empire
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the Mwari cult in shaping the political and military history of southern Africa after…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Rozvi Empire: Great Zimbabwe's Last Defenders
In the aftermath of Great Zimbabwe's decline and the rise of the Mutapa Empire, a new Shona state emerged from the south: the Rozvi. Under the leadership…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Great Enclosure: Great Zimbabwe's Architectural Marvel
In this episode, we focus on the Great Enclosure, the largest and most iconic structure at Great Zimbabwe. Built in the 14th century, this massive elliptical…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe: The Portuguese Invasion and the Fall of the Mutapa Empire
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic encounter between the Portuguese empire and the Mutapa state that succeeded Great Zimbabwe. They trace the…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Sacred Birds: Religion and Power
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the spiritual and political significance of the soapstone birds of Great Zimbabwe, going beyond their role as royal…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Women of Great Zimbabwe: Power and Daily Life in the Stone Kingdom
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the often-overlooked roles of women in the society of Great Zimbabwe. From the spiritual authority…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Mutapa Empire: Great Zimbabwe's Successor State
After Great Zimbabwe's decline, the Shona heartland didn't fall into silence. Instead, a new power rose: the Mutapa Empire, founded by Nyatsimba…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Mysterious Stone Architecture: How Were the Walls Built?
This episode dives into the architectural marvels of Great Zimbabwe, focusing on how the massive stone walls were constructed without mortar. Lucas and Luna…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Lemba: Great Zimbabwe's Lost Jewish Legacy
In this episode of Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone, Lucas and Luna explore the controversial and fascinating story of the Lemba, a…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Fall of Great Zimbabwe: Climate, Gold and Collapse
In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the final centuries of Great Zimbabwe, focusing on the environmental and economic pressures that led to its decline. We…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Swahili Coast and Great Zimbabwe: A Lost Trade Empire
This episode of Fexingo History explores the deep economic and cultural ties between Great Zimbabwe and the Swahili city-states of the East African coast…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe's Rise and Fall: Gold, Cattle and the Climate Crisis
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna explore the dramatic rise and eventual decline of Great Zimbabwe, sub-Saharan Africa's largest stone…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
The Soapstone Birds of Great Zimbabwe: Symbols of Royal Power
In this episode of Fexingo History, Lucas and Luna delve into one of the most enigmatic artifacts from Great Zimbabwe: the soapstone birds. Only eight survive…
- Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History
Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone
In this pilot episode, we journey to the towering stone ruins of Great Zimbabwe, a medieval African kingdom that dominated trade routes between the interior…