Debating great Zimbabwe

Huffman has used historical data and evidence from other Zimbabwe settlements to critique Chirikure and Pikirayi (2008)'s interpretation of Great Zimbabwe. However, we argue that he has misunderstood Portuguese written accounts and that his treatment of the radiocarbon chronology is methodologically unsound. Moreover, use of other Zimbabwe settlements to interpret Great Zimbabwe has poor analytical weight on the site itself because it requires universalising structuralist models that are severely constrained. Future work on Great Zimbabwe and other Zimbabwe settlements must take these points into account, as well as requiring full publication of previous research at the site itself. © 2011 Taylor & Francis.