Tracing the rise and fall of indigenous states of southern Zambezia, The Zimbabwe Culture analyzes the long contentious history of the remains of the remarkable cyclopean masonry, ranging from mighty capitals of traditional kings to humble farmsteads. Forming a cornerstone of the geographical lore of Africa in the 17th and 18th centuries, debate on the origins, development and collapse of the Zimbabwe culture has never ceased and, with increasing archaeological research over the 20th century, has become more complex. Innocent Pikirayi examines the growth and decline of pre-colonial states on the entire Zimbabwean Plateau and southern Zambezia.