<P> Causes for the decline and ultimate abandonment of the site around 1450 have been suggested as due to a decline in trade compared to sites further north , the exhaustion of the gold mines , political instability and famine and water shortages induced by climatic change . The Mutapa state arose in the fifteenth century from the northward expansion of the Great Zimbabwe tradition , having been founded by Nyatsimba Mutota from Great Zimbabwe after he was sent to find new sources of salt in the north ; ( this supports the belief that Great Zimbabwe 's decline was due to a shortage of resources ) . Great Zimbabwe also predates the Khami and Nyanga cultures . </P>
<P> Causes for the decline and ultimate abandonment of the site around 1450 have been suggested as due to a decline in trade compared to sites further north , the exhaustion of the gold mines , political instability and famine and water shortages induced by climatic change . The Mutapa state arose in the fifteenth century from the northward expansion of the Great Zimbabwe tradition , having been founded by Nyatsimba Mutota from Great Zimbabwe after he was sent to find new sources of salt in the north ; ( this supports the belief that Great Zimbabwe 's decline was due to a shortage of resources ) . Great Zimbabwe also predates the Khami and Nyanga cultures . </P>
factors that led to the decline of the great zimbabwe state
factors that led to the decline of the great zimbabwe state
a decline in trade compared to sites further north the exhaustion of the gold mines political instability famine and water shortages induced by climatic change
a decline in trade compared to sites further north the exhaustion of the gold mines political instability famine and water shortages induced by climatic change