# Great Zimbabwe 1368 The Vavaki Strike and the Stone Curse

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/great-zimbabwe-the-lost-african-kingdom-of-stone-fexingo-history-7829648/great-zimbabwe-1368-the-vavaki-strike-and-the-stone-curse
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/great-zimbabwe-the-lost-african-kingdom-of-stone-fexingo-history-7829648/great-zimbabwe-1368-the-vavaki-strike-and-the-stone-curse.md
Podcast: [Great Zimbabwe: The Lost African Kingdom of Stone — Fexingo History](https://stenobird.com/podcast/great-zimbabwe-the-lost-african-kingdom-of-stone-fexingo-history-7829648)
Published: 2026-07-09T12:55:58+00:00
Episode link: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/great-zimbabwe/episode-0149.mp3
Audio file: https://audio.fexingo.com/history/great-zimbabwe/episode-0149.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/great-zimbabwe-the-lost-african-kingdom-of-stone-fexingo-history-7829648/episodes/great-zimbabwe-1368-the-vavaki-strike-and-the-stone-curse
Duration seconds: 377

## Resource

In 1368, the expert stone guild known as the vavaki walked off the job at Great Zimbabwe, halting work on the Great Enclosure. Their grievance: unpaid wages in copper crosses and a devastating insult from the mambo's court. Lucas explores the guild's social power, the ritual breaking of dolerite tools, the svikiro's role in mediating, and the lasting impact on the city's architecture. This episode also touches on the symbolism of the Zimbabwe bird and the tension between royal authority and artisan independence. #GreatZimbabwe #Vavaki #StoneGuild #Dolerite #GreatEnclosure #MamboChikanda #Svikiro #Mhondoro #CopperCrosses #ZimbabweBird #AfricanHistory #1368 #MedievalAfrica #VaShona #LaborStrike #Architecture #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo

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## Transcript

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