Great Zimbabwe's Environmental Collapse: Drought and Deforestation

Episode 183 of our Great Zimbabwe series examines the environmental collapse that ended the stone kingdom. Lucas and Luna explore new research showing that deforestation, overgrazing, and a shift to a drier climate around 1450-1500 AD led to soil erosion and a decline in agricultural output. They discuss how the Rozvi Iron Army's military expansion and cattle overstocking stressed the land, ultimately forcing the abandonment of Great Zimbabwe. The conversation also touches on the rise of Khami and Danamombe as successor states, the role of the Little Ice Age in southern Africa, and how the Great Zimbabwe bird became a symbol of resilience. Evidence from tree rings and sediment cores is highlighted. #GreatZimbabwe #EnvironmentalCollapse #Deforestation #LittleIceAge #Rozvi #Khami #Danamombe #SoilErosion #ClimateChange #GoldTrade #Sofala #Mutapa #TreeRings #SedimentCores #Mwari #ZimbabweBird #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo