▁the ▁B ant u ▁language - spe aking ▁people ▁of ▁Z imb ab we ▁and ▁Southern ▁Africa ▁developed ▁extensive ▁over se as ▁trade ▁with ▁lands ▁as ▁far ▁away ▁as ▁China ▁and ▁India , ▁from ▁which ▁they ▁received ▁por cel ain , ▁be ads , ▁and ▁Pers ian ▁and ▁Arab ▁p ots . ▁They ▁trad ed ▁domestic ated ▁be ef ▁( r ather ▁than ▁meat ▁from ▁game ▁animals ), ▁iron , ▁and ▁iv ory ▁and ▁gold . ▁The ▁city ▁of ▁Great ▁Z imb ab we , ▁founded ▁around ▁ 1 1 0 0 , ▁was ▁the ▁centre ▁of ▁the ▁Sh ona ▁kingdom ▁until ▁around ▁ 1 4 0 0 . ▁ ▁Much ▁trade ▁in ▁the ▁forest ▁kingdom s ▁was ▁done ▁at ▁the ▁local ▁level , ▁typically ▁by ▁ordinary ▁Y or uba ▁people ▁at ▁local ▁mark ets . ▁In ▁some ▁towns ▁these ▁were ▁held ▁every ▁ 3 ▁or ▁ 4 ▁days . ▁Cl oth , ▁veget ables , ▁meat , ▁and ▁other ▁goods ▁were ▁trad ed , ▁and ▁paid ▁for ▁using ▁small ▁se ash ells ▁called ▁cow ries ▁which ▁were ▁imported ▁from ▁East ▁Africa . ▁B ars ▁of ▁co pper ▁and ▁iron , ▁called ▁man il as , ▁were ▁produced ▁in ▁standard ▁shapes ▁to ▁be ▁used ▁as ▁currency . ▁Other ▁items ▁used ▁in ▁trade ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁currency ▁included ▁salt , ▁cloth , ▁and ▁bars ▁of ▁gold . ▁ ▁Trade ▁with ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁had ▁begun ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁ancient ▁Egypt . ▁Islam ▁was ▁introduced ▁to ▁the ▁Horn ▁region ▁early ▁on ▁from ▁the ▁Arab