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 the Zimbabwe Plateau to the Swahili Coast, through Kilwa and into the Indian Ocean world, connecting to India, Persia, and even China. They discuss the organization of mining, the role of the Mambo in controlling trade, the cowrie shell economy, and the eventual decline driven by Portuguese disruption. Specific details include the gold weight system, the Sofala emporium, and the impact of the Kilwa conquest by the Portuguese in 1505. #GreatZimbabwe #GoldTrade #SwahiliCoast #Sofala #Kilwa #Mambo #Shona #IndianOceanTrade #MedievalAfrica #ZimbabwePlateau #PortugueseEmpire #CowrieShells #MiningHistory #GlobalTrade #AfricanHistory #History #FexingoHistory #TradeRoutes #ShonaCivilization #StoneArchitecture Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo