Great Zimbabwe as Illustrated : A Discourse Analysis of Today's Representation of the Monument

Abstract: This study investigates the current discourses of Great Zimbabwe by analysing traces of colonial terminology within present-day literary illustrations. The aim is to identify western ideas and perspectives still dominant within the discourses and explore its implications. By conducting research on how Great Zimbabwe is being illustrated today within academic literature as well as more popular texts, the study demonstrates the role and power of discourse in relation to questions regarding who is authorized to write history and define heritage. Special focus is placed on discourse’s implications on the perception of reality and identity within a context heavily tainted by colonialism. This investigation is a pilot study which hopes to encourage further research on the representation of heritage sites that are vulnerable to political discourses.