The art form goes back to ancient Great Zimbabwe, founded in the 11th century.

这种艺术形式可以追溯到建立于11世纪的古代大津巴布韦。

The flowering of Great Zimbabwe -- it wasn't a freak moment.

大津巴布韦的繁荣——这不是一个反常的时刻。

By the mid-15th century, the buildings at Great Zimbabwe were almost all that remained.

到 15 世纪中叶，大津巴布韦的建筑几乎只剩下了。

What enabled this growth was Great Zimbabwe's influential role in an intercontinental trade network.

促成这种增长的是大津巴布韦在洲际贸易网络中发挥的重要作用。

Great Zimbabwe became an important symbol for the African Nationalist movement that was spreading across the continent.

大津巴布韦成为席卷整个非洲大陆的非洲民族主义运动的重要标志。

Zimbabwe, South Africa and Germany share a common story about the soapstone birds that were looted from Great Zimbabwe.

津巴布韦、南非和德国有一个关于从大津巴布韦掠夺的滑石鸟的共同故事。

So, without a detailed written record on hand, they instead relied on myths to explain the magnificence of Great Zimbabwe.

因此， 在手头没有详细的文字记录的情况下，他们转而依靠神话来解释大津巴布韦的壮丽。

Over time, however, an overwhelming body of evidence mounted, identifying Great Zimbabwe as an African city built by Africans.

然而， 随着时间的推移，大量证据表明大津巴布韦是一座由非洲人建造的非洲城市。

Then, in the early 20th century after extensive excavation at the site, the archaeologist David Randall-MacIver presented clear evidence that Great Zimbabwe was built by indigenous peoples.

然后，在 20 世纪初期，在对该遗址进行广泛挖掘之后，考古学家戴维·兰德尔-麦克弗 (David Randall-MacIver) 提出了明确的证据，证明大津巴布韦是由土著人民建造的。

Eventually, as crops withered and conditions in the city worsened, the population of Great Zimbabwe is thought to have dispersed and formed the nearby Mutapa and Torwa states.

最终，随着庄稼枯萎和城市条件恶化，大津巴布韦的人口被认为已经分散并形成了附近的穆塔帕和托尔瓦州。

Centuries later, a new phase of Great Zimbabwe's influence began to play out in the political realm as people debated who had built the famous city of stone.

几个世纪后，大津巴布韦的影响​​进入了政治领域的新阶段，人们争论着谁建造了这座著名的石头城。

Great Zimbabwe was defined by three main areas: the Hill Complex, where the king lived; the Great Enclosure, reserved for members of the royal family; and the Valley Complex, where regular citizens lived.

大津巴布韦由三个主要区域定义：国王居住的山区；为王室成员保留的大围场；和普通市民居住的山谷综合体。

My journey started at Victoria Falls, one of the seven natural wonders of the world, and then I headed east to the 11th-century city of Great Zimbabwe, before retracing my footprints home, finally putting my hometown on the map.

我的旅程从世界七大自然奇观之一的维多利亚瀑布开始，然后向东前往 11 世纪的大津巴布韦古城， 然后原路返回， 终于把我的家乡写在了地图上。