A high-resolution LiDAR survey of the Great Zimbabwe National Monument has revealed that the ancient city was much larger than the central stone ruins suggest. Researchers identified thousands of previously unknown household structures and agricultural terraces extending for several kilometers into the surrounding valley.
The data indicates that Great Zimbabwe was a thriving urban metropolis with a complex social hierarchy and a highly managed landscape. This research provides a more comprehensive understanding of the 11th to 15th-century Shona civilization and its economic dominance in Southern Africa.