Zimbabwe Iron Age Ruins
There are at least 200 African Iron Age (200-1800's AD) ruin sites in southern Africa with stone walling of the Zimbabwe Tradition. Most sites occur in south and east Zimbabwe, at altitudes between summer cattle grazing on the plateau and winter grazing in the low-veld. Most sites contain evidence of iron smelting. Late in the Iron Age, gold was traded with Arab and later, Portugese traders on the east coast. Chinese Ming Dynasty pottery and glass beads were imported into these Iron Age sites. Most sites are interpreted to have been abandoned after environmental degradation. Below are links to some examples of different ruin sites mapped between 1994 and 2015.
Great Zimbabwe (1200-1450's AD):
Inyanga (1500-1600's AD)
Lake Kyle Iron Age Site
Lekubu Island: Botswana
Map of Iron Age Ruins in Southern Africa
Mataderi (1700-1800's AD):
Matao Ruin: Hwangie National Park
Mejiri Ruins: Mashvingo
Muchuchi
Ngankezi Ruin
Zinjanja or Regina Ruins (1600-1700's AD):