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Great Enclosure
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Stone walls and the tall, rounded Conical Tower stand among trees inside the Great Enclosure at the Great Zimbabwe ruins in Zimbabwe.
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Great Enclosure

ancient structure, Great Zimbabwe, Zimbabwe
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Stone walls and the tall, rounded Conical Tower stand among trees inside the Great Enclosure at the Great Zimbabwe ruins in Zimbabwe.
Great Zimbabwe Interior of the Great Enclosure, with the Conical Tower on the left, in the Great Zimbabwe complex of ruins, southeastern Zimbabwe.

The Great Enclosure is the largest single ancient structure in sub-Saharan Africa, located within the ruins of Great Zimbabwe in southeastern Zimbabwe. Great Zimbabwe was a thriving trading empire from the 11th to the 15th centuries, with a population of 10,000 to 20,000 people. Its economy was based on cattle, agriculture, and gold trade. The Great Enclosure's outer wall is approximately 820 feet (250 meters) in circumference and reaches a height of 36 feet (11 meters). The purpose of the structure, particularly its Conical Tower, remains unknown, though it may have symbolized a grain bin or a phallus. The ruins of Great Zimbabwe, including the Great Enclosure, are of African origin and were built by Bantu-speaking peoples.123

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4 Britannica Sources
  1. Great Zimbabwe
  2. Southern Africa - Mapungubwe and Great Zimbabwe
  3. history of Zimbabwe - Brief overview of the early history of Zimbabwe
  4. enclosure

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