Between the Hill Complex and the Great Enclosure lie the Valley Ruins — a sprawling area of smaller stone enclosures that were the residential and administrative buildings of the city's population. At its height in the 14th century, Great Zimbabwe may have housed up to 18,000 people, and the valley floor would have been densely occupied.
The Valley Ruins are less dramatic than the other two zones but more informative about daily life: the enclosures here were homes and workshops, and archaeological excavations have revealed gold beads, Chinese porcelain, and Arab coins — evidence of the long-distance trade network that made the city wealthy. Walking through the valley with the Great Enclosure rising on one side and the Hill Complex on the other gives the best sense of the city's scale.