AMS Dates and the Chronology of Great Zimbabwe

New radiocarbon dating reveals that Great Zimbabwe's Period IVa (AD 1285–1395) was longer and more complex than previously thought, with the introduction of P, P/Q, and Q-coursed stone walling techniques. These innovations, including the construction of the Nemanwa palace and the Outer Perimeter Wall, coincided with the rise of the Zimbabwe state. Period IVb marked Great Zimbabwe's peak prosperity, while Period IVc reflects its post-abandonment phase when the Mutapa dynasty established a ritual center to assert territorial claims amid Torwa expansion.

Huffman, T. N., & Woodborne, S. (2020). AMS Dates and the Chronology of Great Zimbabwe. Journal of African Archaeology, 18(1), 86–108. https://doi.org/10.1163/21915784-20200006