{"version":"1.0","provider_name":"Secrets of the Dead","provider_url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/secrets","author_name":"Benjamin Phelps","author_url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/secrets\/author\/phelpsb\/","title":"The Colonial Myths Behind Great Zimbabwe | Secrets of the Dead | PBS","type":"rich","width":600,"height":338,"html":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"NZmCtmelQ8\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/secrets\/the-colonial-myths-behind-great-zimbabwe-zpgz8k\/8902\/\">The Colonial Myths Behind Great Zimbabwe<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/secrets\/the-colonial-myths-behind-great-zimbabwe-zpgz8k\/8902\/embed\/#?secret=NZmCtmelQ8\" width=\"600\" height=\"338\" title=\"&#8220;The Colonial Myths Behind Great Zimbabwe&#8221; &#8212; Secrets of the Dead\" data-secret=\"NZmCtmelQ8\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var e,t,s=l.querySelectorAll(\"iframe.wp-embedded-content\"),r=0;r<s.length;r++)(t=(e=s[r]).getAttribute(\"data-secret\"))||(t=Math.random().toString(36).substring(2,12),e.src+=\"#?secret=\"+t,e.setAttribute(\"data-secret\",t)),e.contentWindow.postMessage({message:\"ready\",secret:t},\"*\")},!1)))}(window,document);\n\/\/# sourceURL=https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/secrets\/wp-includes\/js\/wp-embed.min.js\n<\/script>\n","thumbnail_url":"https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wnet\/secrets\/files\/2026\/09\/IipcHHP-asset-mezzanine-16x9-UOeQ4li.jpg","thumbnail_width":1920,"thumbnail_height":1080,"description":"Discover how colonial archaeologists used racist theories to deny that Africans built Great Zimbabwe. From claims that the site was built by Phoenicians or the Queen of Sheba, to deeply racist writings by archaeologist Theodore Bent, these myths reveal how colonial attitudes distorted the history of this remarkable African civilization."}