How did David Randall-MacIver and Gertrude Caton-Thompson establish the African origin of Great Zimbabwe?

In the late 19th century, many European explorers erroneously attributed the ruins of Great Zimbabwe to ancient non-African civilizations, such as the Phoenicians, Greeks, or Egyptians, often linking the site to the biblical city of Ophir.1

Archaeologists David Randall-MacIver and Gertrude Caton-Thompson were instrumental in correcting these misconceptions through rigorous scientific investigation:

• David Randall-MacIver: In 1905, he conducted excavations at the site and subsequently published Medieval Rhodesia (1906). He concluded that the ruins were of purely African origin and dated to the medieval period, specifically around the 14th century, rather than being the work of an ancient, vanished civilization.12
• Gertrude Caton-Thompson: In 1929, she conducted stratigraphic studies of the architectural remains. Her findings provided critical evidence that confirmed the site was of Indigenous African design and construction during the Middle Ages. She detailed these conclusions in her 1931 work, The Zimbabwe Culture, effectively controverting the popular theories of foreign origin.13

Their work established the site's true historical context as a thriving center of a medieval African trading empire.1