Chinese Celadon at Great Zimbabwe Reveals Global Trade Network

Archaeologists have found pieces of jade-green Chinese pottery at the medieval city of Great Zimbabwe, indicating long-distance connections with East Asia more than 1,000 years ago. Analysis of Longquan celadon shards confirms high-temperature Chinese ceramics reached the site, revealing a transoceanic trade network. The glossy surface of the shard indicates it was fired at a very high temperature, a technological feat only achieved in China at that early date.

Longquan celadon is a famously beautiful Chinese pottery style known for its jade green glaze, produced in eastern China starting around A.D. 950. University of Oxford archaeologist Shadreck Chirikure, leading new excavations, noted that Chinese ceramics are found in different parts of Great Zimbabwe but in small quantities. He suggested these objects may have been rare and highly valuable exotic goods used by the elite. The capital of an ancient empire that arose in southeastern Africa around A.D. 1000, Great Zimbabwe flourished from the 11th century until at least the 15th century.

Excavations are providing new information about the civilization’s crafts, ritual stone carvings, and trade contacts. Archaeologist Muchen Zhou, a doctoral student at Oxford working with Chirikure, examined pottery shards from a trench. One fragment had a whitish body and apple green glaze, differing from local earth-brown shards. Laboratory analysis using an ultra-high-resolution microscope showed the glazed surface was incredibly smooth, indicating firing at temperatures over 2000°F. Zhou stated that only China had the technology and engineering to fire pottery at such high temperatures at the time.

Trade Network Scale

Artifacts show connections spanning at least 8,000 kilometers from India or Sri Lanka to southern Africa. "From India or Sri Lanka to Great Zimbabwe, it's at least 8,000 kilometers [5,000 miles]," said Shadreck Chirikure. Merchants used monsoon wind cycles to sail the Indian Ocean. The presence of this pottery indicates it traveled through Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Persian Gulf, and across the ocean. Great Zimbabwe was part of a trading network stretching across southern Africa. Trade brought wealth and attracted more people to the city, leading to its expansion and population growth.

As the trench deepened, the team found other evidence of international trade, including a large number of glass beads not produced in southern Africa. Glass items discovered at the site originated from Southeast Asia, India, the Middle East, and regions around Iran. These findings indicate Great Zimbabwe had contact with diverse groups across continents and oceans. The city obtained materials from vast distances, as shown by other artifacts.

Elite Consumption

Rare Chinese ceramics likely served as prestigious exotic goods for ruling elites. Longquan celadon was highly prized and traded throughout Europe and the Middle East as a sign of wealth and status. Its small quantities at the site suggest it was a rare luxury. Chemical analysis of cattle bones showed some animals were exchanged over distances of about 140 kilometers, demonstrating local and regional exchange networks that supported the elite economy.

Great Zimbabwe was a truly global place due to its extensive trade connections. The population left no written history, making material finds like the celadon crucial. Chirikure's ongoing excavations at Great Zimbabwe aim to investigate soapstone sources for the Zimbabwe Bird carvings. "When I was growing up, I was surrounded by symbols of Great Zimbabwe," he said.