Legend has it that the Queen of Sheba once ruled at Great Zimbabwe, a UNESCO World Heritage Site about 30 kilometres from Masvingo. The ruins bear witness to the Bantu civilisation of the Shona people in the Middle Ages. Great Zimbabwe was founded in the 11th century and by the 14th century had become the capital of a major state in the gold-rich plateau. The site was abandoned around 1450 due to deforestation and a lack of food. Archaeological excavations have uncovered glass beads and porcelain from China and Persia, as well as gold and Arab coins, showing evidence of trade with the wider world.
