Throughout the 20th century, archaeologists in southern Africa have focused upon visible architectural features of stone built Madzimbabwe. This book proposes a concept of "privileged places" based on a wide range of archaeological and environmental evidence as well as oral and documentary historical sources. This concept includes strategic locations e.g. in relation to water, soils for agriculture, pasture, resource areas for mining and trade opportunities. Excavated materials and documentary sources illustrate how the meaning of privileged places changed over time.