Great Zimbabwe began in 1100-1200 A.D., although Shona speaking farmers settled on the land nearly one thousand years before. Zimbabwe came from the Bantu term dzimba dza mabwe, meaning "houses of stone." The Kingdoms was wealthy with gold. The masonary that still exist today in Zimbabwe, suggests that Great Zimbabwe independently created the technology to optimize local resources. The kingdom had abundant grazing land that allowed crops to grow in the begining, but the soil became poor for growing crops later during the thriving years of the kingdom. Foods most likely were imported to sustain the growing population. Great Zimbabwe is located in south centeral Africa. Today it is known as Zimbabwe. The site is located on a high plateau.