Zimbabwe - Naletale Cluster of Dzimbabwes

The Naletale Cluster of Dzimbabwes is located in the south-central parts of Zimbabwe approximately 90 kilometers south of the City of Gweru. This cluster consists of multiple drystone walled sites which functioned as settlement centres between the 16th and 18th centuries. Research has shown that the Naletale Cluster of Dzimbabwes was part of a network of similar sites located in southern Zambezia. However, the Naletale cluster is unique in that it has the highest concentration of such dry stone walled sites in southern Zambezia, in a localized geographical space. These include Naletale, Nsalansala, Arupanga, Shangangwe, Bhila, Gwenaguru, Belmont Ruin and Lawdale. Critically it is unique in the sense that its walls have the highest number of decorations on individual walls. These decorations include herringbone, cord, checker, banded ironstone, chevron, and double herringbone. These sites are attributed to the Shona, a branch of the Bantu in southern Africa. These settlements are referred to as MaDzimbabwe reflecting the culture of building settlement structures with granite blocks without any binder which was widespread in southern Africa between the 11th and 18th centuries.