AI Is Creating A Surreal Future For These Historic Sites & Buildings

Past: Great Zimbabwe (11^th – 15^th centuries CE)

Great Zimbabwe stood strong as a medieval stronghold along the East African coast.  It dominated trade in the region from the 11^th century to the 15^th century.  Its trade area is expansive; archaeologists found pottery from as far away as China and Persia and coins from Arabian nations in the ruins.  However, by the 15^th century, overpopulation and depleted resources led to the city’s abandonment.  Great Zimbabwe is known today for its Great Enclosure, a 14^th century stone wall 9.7 meters (roughly 32 feet) tall in some places.  One of the most notable archaeological finds in Great Zimbabwe is the 9 meter (30 foot) tall conical stone tower in the Great Enclosure.  There are no records of whether the tower was part of the royal residence or a symbolic grain storage tower, but it is one of Africa’s largest ancient structures still standing and the symbol of the long-abandoned city.