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Witness History: The Whitewashing of Zimbabwe's Ancient History

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25/07/2018 GMT

The Whitewashing of Zimbabwe's Ancient History

BBC World Service - Witness History, The Whitewashing of Zimbabwe's Ancient History

The contentious history of the ruined city of Great Zimbabwe - finally revealed.

Why did white colonialists claim that an ancient ruined city could not have been built by a great African civilisation?  After independence Zimbabwe corrected its history.

When colonial explorers discovered an ancient ruined city in Zimbabwe, they claimed foreigners must have built it.  They denied the probability that it was the work of a great African civilisation that dominated southern and east Africa with its trade in gold.  After independence Zimbabwe was able to reclaim its full heritage.  Rebecca Kesby spoke to Dr Ken Mufuka - the historian who was tasked with rewriting the history books. 

(Photo; The iconic tower in the Great Enclosure of the Great Zimbabwe National Monument. It's one of the most important archaeological sites in Africa and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Credit; Getty Creative.)

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