In Greater Zimbabwe, stones hold without mortar

The walls of Greater Zimbabwe impress with their mass and the regularity of their assizes. Their particularity appears by looking at the joints: the dry stone masonry assembles the blocks without mortar. The monumental effect is based on the choice and arrangement of the stones, rather than on a binder between them.

In the Great Enclosure, cut granite blocks draw curves, narrow passages and a high conical tower. These constructions belong to a group developed by the Shona populations during the Middle Ages. The site also preserves traces of dwellings using other materials: the whole city was not only made of stone.

The objects found by archaeologists illuminate a commercial, agricultural and artisanal society. The legends that attribute these buildings to a biblical origin do not replace this research. The most amazing detail is enough on its own: without cement between the blocks, the builders gave the stone a lasting monumental organization.