On passing through the main entrance from the south, one enters a

passage which runs parallel with the north side of the main wall

for 17 ft. towards the west, and then curves sharply towards the

east-north-east for 19 ft. At its two extremities the passage is from

3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in. wide, but at the curve at the end of the first

length of 17 ft. it is 6 ft. wide. The western wall of this passage is

19 ft. long, 5 ft. wide at base, and 3 ft. 6 in. on the highest portion

of the summit, this being at the south end, where the wall is 8 ft.

high. This wall is rounded at its northern extremity, and forms the

divisional wall between the passage and the eastern enclosure. Neither

the eastern nor the western enclosures can at present be defined on

their northern sides, though lines of block débris would appear to fix

their boundaries.

The most interesting architectural feature in the “Outspan Ruins” is

the conical tower built to form part of the main wall. This is an

independent structure from its base upwards. It is 9 ft. high, and

though built of irregularly shaped stones and without much adherence to

courses, it is symmetrical in appearance. On its west side between it

and the rounded end of the main wall is a space 2 in. wide on the floor

and 5 ft. wide at 6 ft. from the floor. This narrow loopholed space

still remains open, save for a single slab which at 6 ft. above the

floor is built into the tower and the main wall, thus forming a sort of

stone shelf. On the eastern side of the tower the space between it and

the rounded wall of the entrance is neatly built up, and a slab is laid

from the rounded wall into the courses of the tower at 5 ft. above the

floor. Possibly these slabs on either side of the tower formed raised

platforms to afford a view over the wall, while the narrow loophole

might have served as a look-out. The circumference of the tower at 5

ft. from its base is 19 ft. 3 in.

The portion of these ruins which lies to the south of the main wall

comprises (1) a wall running south at right angles to the main wall at

4 ft. from the west side of the entrance. This wall is 24 ft. long,

and averages 3 ft. 6 in. in height, and is 2 ft. wide on its present

summit; (2) a circular buttress built independently and standing

opposite the outside of the main entrance at a distance of 8 ft. 6 in.

Its height is now only 3 ft. 10 in., and its circumference at base

is 28 ft. 4 in. It is hollow in the centre, and it has collapsed from

summit to base on its southern side for a width of 3 ft. The obvious

object of this buttress is to divide the open space on the outside of

the entrance into two narrow passages, each of which could easily be

defended by a few even against a great number of besiegers.

At 36 ft. east of the south side of the entrance is an outcrop of a

wall 6 ft. long, and this runs due south at some 5 ft. in front of the

main wall.

CHAPTER XIX

“THE VALLEY OF RUINS”

“The Valley of Ruins” is on the north-east and east sides of the

Elliptical Temple, and almost half-way between it and the south side

of the east end of the Acropolis Hill. This conglomeration of ruins

extends from the edge of the slope which runs along the north-east

sides of both Elliptical Temple and No. 1 Ruins to within 60 yds. of

the west side of East Ruins, and covers an area of about 250 yds. from

east to west and 120 yds. from north to south. This area is the upper

portion of the Zimbabwe Valley, which descends towards the east, the

streams from this valley during the rainy season falling into the

Mapudzi stream, which runs southwards down the Schlichter Gorge towards

the Moshawasha Valley, and later finds its way into the Motelekwe River.

Till 1902–3 these extensive ruins, some of which are massive and most

excellently constructed, remained not only unexplored but unexamined,

and no particulars or plan had ever been attempted to be given, all

writers being content to refer to them as “The Valley of Ruins,” while

some writers altogether ignore the existence of the group. Dr. Helm, of

Morgenster, whose professional duties have taken him twice every month

for the last six years within a few score yards of the ruins, states

that he never supposed the wood and the jungle contained any walls.

Since the Occupation in 1890 no attention has been paid to these

ruins. No visitors’ or even native paths crossed the area, nor are

there the slightest traces in the shape of trenches of relic hunters

and gold prospectors having worked here. So unfrequented has it been

that some fair-sized buck have recently been shot within the walls.

The area was found to be covered with an almost impenetrable jungle of

trees, bushes, and creepers. The local natives declared the place to be

bewitched, and consequently they avoided it.

“The Valley of Ruins” has recently (1903) been found to consist of

three groups, each of which includes several distinct ruins, some being

of an important character.

The area is divided as follows:—

1. Lower or north-eastern section, including the Posselt, Philips, and

Maund Ruins.

2. Middle section, which lies between the lower section and the edge of

the slope of land on the north-east side of the Elliptical Temple.

3. Upper section, including all ruins between the Elliptical Temple

and the edge of the slope overlooking lower portions of “The Valley of

Ruins.”

Before describing these complicated groups there are some features

represented by them which may be mentioned.

(_a_) Several of these ruins, especially those in the lower section,

are exceedingly massive and well built, the courses marvellously

true with an absence of straight joints. The curves of the wall are

beautifully designed and are laid on boldly sweeping lines. The

material is good, and is also most carefully selected and sized. The

masonry of many of the walls is far superior to that of some of the

divisional walls of the Elliptical Temple and to the majority of the

walls on the Acropolis.

(_b_) The absence of the angular style of buildings, except with

certain structures in the middle section. Rounded entrances and

buttresses and gracefully rounded ends of walls form the most

prevailing features of most of these ruins. Two conical towers, several

very large semi-circular buttresses or platforms form prominent

features. Two drains were discovered (1903) in Philips Ruins and three

in Posselt Ruins (B).

(_c_) The middle section is poorly built, and possesses some angular

features. The upper section is well built.

(_d_) The discovery (1903) in the lower section of these ruins of gold

articles, decorated and plain soapstone beams and relics of the oldest

type, including the soapstone beam with bird on summit—the finest

specimen yet found in Zimbabwe—point to the fact that certain of these

ruins were used for somewhat higher purposes than those of forts or

workshops, possibly, as many now suggest, as residences for priests

or officials connected with the temple. This surmise is justifiable,

seeing that the north-east passage connects such well-built and

substantial portions of these mines directly with the North Entrance

and Parallel Passage and Sacred Enclosure of the Elliptical Temple.

In the lower section of these ruins there are no traces of ancient or

native industries having been carried on.

(_e_) In the lower section of these ruins there are fewer signs of

modern or even of very old Makalanga clay huts, such as are fully

described in “_Native huts found in ruins_.” No modern articles were

found here. The consequence is there has been in this lower group of

ruins very little artificial filling-up of the enclosures, and the

ruins are more open and are easier of examination than most of the

other ruins at Zimbabwe. But being on lower ground, with a huge bank

of granite and soil on the south-western flank, there has been a

considerable amount of soil silted into the ruins during the course of

hundreds of years, but not to any great depth. The filling-in, both

natural, is no more than about 2 ft., as compared with 5 ft. and 7

ft. in other ruins elsewhere where there are abundant signs of native

occupation.

LOWER SECTION OF THE “VALLEY OF RUINS”

POSSELT RUINS

These ruins are the most westerly of the lower section of _The Valley

of Ruins_. They consist of two almost oval-shaped buildings adjoining

each other, and for the purposes of this description are marked _A_ and

_B_ respectively on the plan. This set of ruins lies at the north-east

extremity of the _North-East Passage_ leading from the _Elliptical

Temple_.

_A_ is 175 ft. long from north to south, and 91 ft. from east to west.

_B_ lies at almost right angles to _A_ on its south-west side, and is

110 ft. from east to west, and 75 ft. from north to south.

The interesting points concerning the Posselt Ruins are:—

(1) The discovery of beaten gold and of the older class of relics.

(2) Two entrances with unworked soapstone beams used as lintels in

portcullis grooves.

(3) Complicated entrances; a small conical tower; cement dadoes; a

parallel passage; circular and semi-circular buttresses; only slight

artificial filling-in of interior; some evidence of occupation by old

or modern natives.

(4) Massive character of walls originally averaging at least 15 ft.

in height; excellent construction, main walls being superior to many

divisional walls in the _Elliptical Temple_ and to most of the walls on

the _Acropolis_; the overwhelming predominance of the rounded style of

architecture.

(5) No evidence of either ancient or native industries having been

carried on in these ruins.

SECTION A OF POSSELT RUINS

_Main walls._—The main walls average from 7 ft. to 12 ft. in height

above the surface of the veld, while the height of the interior

faces, which are some 3 ft. above the outside level, averages 6 ft.

to 9 ft. The great amount of wall débris at the foot of the walls

suggests an original average height of at least 15 ft. above the cement

floors. Some practical builders have computed it to have been almost

20 ft., and the batter-back would permit of this. The average of 15

ft. is a very conservative estimate of the original height. There is

more dilapidation on the outside top edges of the walls than on the

inside. The width of the main walls at base averages 6 ft., and on

the reduced summit at 9 ft. above the outer surface of the ground

4 ft. Some of the divisional walls are almost equally as massive.

As is usual in the rounded style of building, the main walls, also

the foundations, widen out as they near an entrance. The curves of

the walls are most symmetrical, especially of the wall which curves

outwards from the north to the east-south-east. Two granite beams—one 6

ft. 3 in. high—once stood erect on the north-east portion of the main

wall. A flat granite slab still stands erect on the west wall. Other

long granite beams were found at the foot of the wall both outside

and inside. The foundations of the main walls are carried under the

entrances and form their floors.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan POSSELT RUINS “Valley of Ruins” (_Lower

Section_)]

_Construction._—The construction of the main walls and also of some of

the divisional walls is good, though there are places where a rather

inferior workmanship can be noticed. On the whole, the courses are

regular, straight joints are infrequent, and the sizes of the blocks of

each course show they were carefully selected. There are a few short

lengths of walls in the interior which do not appear to have been parts

of the original building. These are erected upon the black vegetable

mould, and are poorly constructed, are slight and of indifferent

material, being almost identical, if not quite so, with old Makalanga

walls, the noticeable feature of which is the building of one stone

exactly above and squarely on the block below without any pretence at

bonding. This is known as the column style, and can be seen in walls

in native villages as well as within certain ruins at Zimbabwe, mainly

on the _Acropolis_, where, as in these ruins, there are the remains of

very old Makalanga cement huts.

_Entrances._—There are four rounded entrances through the main wall;

possibly there was a fifth on the east side where there is a wide gap.

There are twelve entrances in divisional walls, nine of which are

rounded, two being partly angular and partly rounded, and one angular,

this last being before referred to as probably of later construction.

It is almost certain that many more divisional entrances will yet be

discovered, as several of the divisional walls only just outcrop above

the surface of the interior. Almost every entrance has portcullis

grooves. All four of the entrances through the main wall have rounded

buttresses on either side projecting into the interior of the building.

Three of the more important divisional entrances also have rounded

buttresses on each side of the entrance.

The E.N.E. entrance was evidently the main entrance. Its walls are very

massive, and the arrangement of the inner walls strongly suggests the

intention to protect the entrance and afford a second line of defence.

This entrance generally is the most imposing of all four approaches.

It opens directly on to the exterior of the building, which the west

entrance does not; nor most probably did the S.E. entrance, which

opens out towards other ruins. The E.N.E. entrance varies in width

from 2 ft. 10 in. to 4 ft., and the passage is 12 ft. long. The side

walls are 5 ft. high, but rise sharply towards the exterior to 8 ft.

and 11 ft. respectively, and both are about 6 ft. wide on floor level.

As in the entrances through the main wall of the _Elliptical Temple_,

the foundations run under the entrance and form its passage floor.

The entrance has two buttresses on the inner side, and these have

portcullis grooves.

The west entrance opens in _Section B_ of the _Posselt Ruins_. This is

1 ft. 10 in. wide, 7 ft. long, and the side walls are 7 ft. high above

the floor and 6 ft. wide on the floor level. The entrance shows remains

of portcullis grooves. The floor of the entrance is 2 ft. above the

cement floor of the interior of the building, and there are the remains

of large rounded cement steps down on to the floor. On the inner side

is the _Parallel Passage_, described later, and as in this passage

are a quantity of buttresses, these show that the entrance was well

protected from attack from the side of _Section B_, especially on the

north outer side of the entrance, where is what visitors have called a

“sentry-box,” a small walled-in area immediately adjoining and opening

directly upon the entrance into _Section A_. The elaborate protection

of this entrance from attacks from _Section B_ would appear to show

that _Section A_ was regarded by the builders as the more important

portion of these buildings.

The south-east entrance opens out on to the veld, but there are

extensive ruins, portion of the middle section of “The Valley of

Ruins,” at a few yards’ distance in front of it with traces of walls

between. This entrance is 2 ft. 4 in. wide between the buttresses, and

3 ft. wide between the sides of the main wall. It is 11 ft. long, and

the side walls are 7 ft. high on either side, rising rapidly on the

east side to 10 ft. There is a pair of rounded buttresses 5 ft. high on

the inner side, and these have portcullis grooves. It is probable that

this was the entrance used by the ancient occupiers on ascending from

these ruins to the _Elliptical Temple_, as the north-eastern extremity

of the _North-East Passage_ is not many yards away from this entrance.

An entrance through a divisional wall just within and on the west side

of the E.N.E. entrance is worthy of notice. This passes through a

wall 6 ft. wide on floor level, and 7 ft. high on the south-west side

and 6 ft. high on the north-east side. In this entrance, which has

rounded buttresses on the inner side, a length of unworked soapstone

beam was found acting as a side lintel in a portcullis groove, also

the fragments of a corresponding soapstone lintel. In this entrance

was discovered (March, 1903) beaten gold and fragments of decorated

soapstone bowls.

_Parallel Passage._—This is the sixth parallel passage so far

discovered at Zimbabwe, and is about the fifth in importance. It runs

for 66 ft. on the inside of, and parallel to, the west main wall. The

inner or east wall of the passage is formed by a line of buttresses

with short walls between each, and in these walls are various entrances

leading towards the interior of the building. No portion of this inner

wall is more than 5 ft. in height, though the wall débris along their

summits rises 2 ft. higher. The passage is defended by several pairs of

rounded buttresses with portcullis grooves, and averages in width from

5 ft. to 8 ft.

The passage commences on the south side of the west entrance which

leads from _Section B_ of these ruins. Two large rounded buttresses

form its southern extremity. The buttress on the west side, which is

5 ft. high, projects 5 ft. into the walled-in area opposite to the

inside of the west entrance, and the eastern buttress, which is 4 ft.

high, projects 3 ft. to meet it, leaving the entrance between them 3

ft. wide. There are no portcullis grooves, but it is probable, judging

by the position of the débris, that a pair of rounded buttresses once

stood on either side of the entrance. Portcullis grooves are most

usually found in such additional buttresses. In this walled-in area,

facing the inside of the west entrance, is a passage-way leading into

the interior of the building, but this still remains unexplored.

Going north from this point, the Parallel Passage is narrowed to 4

ft. by a rounded buttress 5 ft. high projecting from the inner or

eastern side of the passage. From this buttress a wall 5 ft. high runs

north-east and parallel to the inside of main wall for 13 ft., the

passage along this length being about 4 ft. 6 in. wide. At the northern

end of this length of wall are a pair of rounded buttresses 4 ft. 6 in.

high with portcullis grooves. The entrance between the two is 1 ft.

10 in. wide, and these are built upon the same foundation which forms

the floor of the entrance. At 16 ft. further north is another pair

projecting from either side into the passage. The one on the west side

is 5 ft. high, is rounded, and has a portcullis groove. The opposite

is 3 ft. high and greatly dilapidated. It is angular on one side and

rounded on the other, and there are traces only of a portcullis groove.

The quality of the construction differs, the rounded buttress being the

better built. Possibly the other buttress is a reconstruction of a much

later date. The entrance between the buttresses is 2 ft. 6 in. wide.

Both buttresses are erected on the same foundation which forms the

floor of the entrance.

Between the last-described two pairs of buttresses and on the east side

is a roughly built entrance 1 ft. 10 in. wide, with the two buttresses

angular on the outside and rounded on the inside. This leads into

the interior of the building. At the northern end of the passage and

on the east side and leading into the interior is an entrance with

portcullis grooves built upon a curved line. The west corners, which

are 3 ft. 6 in. high, are angular, but the inside walls are rounded.

This is altogether better built and more substantial than the entrance

previously described. The northern extremity of the passage is abrupt

on its eastern side, which faces the south end of the gap in the main

west wall, and the presumption is that the passage was originally

continued further north, but that when the main wall fell the eastern

side of the passage was also destroyed.

In places the floor of the passage shows by the wall of a large

semi-circular buttress which projects 11 ft. from the inner face of

the main wall. All the walls surrounding the area are very well built.

The south side is formed by an opening 2 ft. 4 in. wide between the

semi-circular buttress and the west side of the conical tower, by the

conical tower, by an opening 2 ft. wide between the east side of the

tower and a rounded buttress 4 ft. high, which projects 3 ft. 6 in.

from the wall forming the east side of the enclosure. The floor, which

is made of granite cement, is 1 ft. above the floor on the south, and

is approached by a rounded step.

_Conical Tower._—This tower and the Conical Tower in the adjoining

_Philips Ruins_ are almost identical in construction and position. It

has a circumference at 14 in. above its foundation of 17 ft. 6 in., and

at 3 ft. 6 in. above this level the circumference is 15 ft. 6 in. It

is impossible to measure its circumference at base owing to the cement

floor enclosing its north and north-east sides. It is 5 ft. 8 in. high

from base on the north side and 4 ft. on the south side. The filling-in

process of very late occupiers has caused its dilapidation. The tower

has been proved to be solid.

_Semi-circular Buttress._—A large remains of pavement, portions being

cemented and portions paved with blocks. A large rounded granite cement

step crosses the northern end of the passage.

_Dadoes._—In the passage and on the lower inside face of the main wall

are several lengths of granite cement dadoes, the longest being 10 ft.

and 12 ft. The dadoes are still 2 ft. to 3 ft. high, and about 3 in. to

5 in. thick.

_Enclosures._—It is probable, judging by the number of sections of

divisional walls outcropping above the surface of the interior, that

there are some eight or ten distinct enclosures within _Section

A_ of these ruins. Some enclosures have several entrances, all so

far discovered being rounded. The divisional walls of most of the

enclosures are massive and well built, some being far superior in

construction and material to several of the divisional walls in the

_Elliptical Temple_.

The most perfect enclosure is on the inner side of the north-east,

immediately west of the E.N.E entrance. This was entirely filled in

with soil and blocks up to the tops of the walls, which are 7 ft. and 8

ft. high. All this filling-in has now been removed (March, 1903), and

a conical tower, which had been completely buried, was discovered. The

area is formed on the north-east side by the inner face of the main

wall, which is 7 ft. high and 11 ft. long, on the east side by a wall

7 ft. high and 9 ft. long, and on the west side it averages from 2 in.

to 4 in. in thickness. Its faces are usually smoothed and the tops are

rounded off inwards.

_Native huts._—There are the remains of seven old native huts in this

section of the ruins. These are identical with No. 3 huts described in

“_Makalanga huts within ancient ruins_,” see “_Notes on Architecture_.”

They are built about 2 ft. and 3 ft. above the ancient cement floors.

Two are built across gaps in divisional walls, and one partially covers

a portion of the gap in the north-west main wall, which, had it been

intact, would not have enabled the builders of the hut to find room for

the erection of their dwelling.

POSSELT RUINS. SECTION B

This lies to the west of _Section A_ of the _Posselt Ruins_, which it

immediately adjoins on its south-west side and practically forms part

of the same ruins.

Its area is 110 ft. from east to west, and 75 ft. from north to south,

and is oval in plan. The construction of the walls is excellent, and

this section appears to be one of the earliest period ruins. Its

central portion has been filled in, and some of the walls dividing off

the enclosures are still buried beneath the débris. There are no signs

of native occupation of the interior of the ruins, but on the outside

of the building are the circular ruins of old native huts and débris

consisting mostly of ashes, bones, and pottery.

Only the three enclosures at the west end have been cleared out to

their old floors, but nothing was found of any antique character.

_Walls._—The outer walls are massive and show excellent construction,

and average in height between 5 ft. and 10 ft., their width being 6 ft.

at 5 ft. above the ground. The inner walls are also massive and are

fairly well built, being 5 ft. wide at 4 ft. above the ground. There is

a narrow and low divisional wall of poor construction cutting off the

north-east portion of these ruins, and this most probably is of later

date.

_Entrances._—There are only two entrances through the main or outer

walls. The one on the north-east side is 2 ft. 6 in. wide, and has

very massive walls, which are rounded, and all exceptionally well

constructed. There is a pair of rounded buttresses immediately inside,

and these have portcullis grooves. The foundation of the main wall

forms the floor of the entrance passage.

The south entrance is 4 ft. wide, and is built upon the foundation of

the main south wall. It is narrowed to 2 ft. by two rounded buttresses,

and these have portcullis grooves.

“_Sentry-box._”—This class of structure has been popularly termed

“sentry-box.” In the angle at the north-east corner is a rounded wall

with a narrow opening into the inside. This is situated close to the

entrance leading into _Section A_, and its position suggests the idea

that it was used as a sentry-box guarding the entrance. There are

several of these structures at Zimbabwe, and they all occupy a similar

position near entrances.

_Drains._—There are three drains through the walls of this section of

the _Posselt Ruins_, one in the south wall passing through a wall 5 ft.

6 in. wide, one in a divisional wall, 4 ft. wide, which projects from

the south main wall towards the north, and one in a divisional wall 5

ft. wide at the north-west of the building.

A semi-circular buttress projects 11 ft. into the interior from the

cunei face of the north-east main wall. It is 27 ft. round its outer

face. On the east side the buttress is 8 ft. high, and on the south and

west sides, owing to dilapidations, and also to a higher floor, these

faces are only 4 ft. and 5 ft. high. The top surface is covered with a

foot depth of granite cement.

_Circular platform._—This is at the eastern extremity of the ruins.

It is 21 ft. in diameter and 5 ft. above the floors of the adjoining

enclosures. On the east side the summit is approached by granite cement

steps which are large and well rounded, and on the south by stone steps.

On the west of this platform are two raised enclosures immediately

on the inside of the main wall. The northern one has steps leading

some way towards the west side of the _Circular Platform_, and there

probably once reached its summit.

_Cement dadoes._—In these ruins are many lengths of granite cement

dado work, the greatest length intact being 33 ft., and this is on the

east of the west main wall. This work is also extensively found in

the _Parallel Passage_. Not only is it found on the faces of walls,

but also on round buttresses and on the side walls of entrances, thus

reducing their widths by about 5 in. It runs about 3 ft. higher than

the cemented floors.

PHILIPS RUINS

These ruins lie to the east of the _Posselt Ruins_, which they almost

adjoin, being only 8 yds. apart at their nearest points. These ruins

present several most interesting features:—

(1) The discovery (March, 1903) of the finest, most perfect, and most

elaborately decorated soapstone beam with bird on summit yet found at

_Great Zimbabwe_, also of phalli and beaten gold.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan PHILIPS’ RUINS “Valley of Ruins” (_Lower

Section_) ]

(2) An excellently constructed and massive wall, built upon the plan

of a section of a circle, with its centre facing due east, and the

discovery of quantities of sections of worked soapstone beams along

its base, together with fragments of carved soapstone bowls, and also

ancient relics of the oldest type.

(3) A small conical tower uncovered March, 1903.

(4) Excellent and massive character of the construction of the walls of

the numerous rounded entrances, buttresses, and ends of walls. There

are two drains, also a tall slate beam built into a portcullis groove

to form a side lintel post in an entrance.

(5) The complete absence of signs of native occupation of these ruins

except on the east side of the large curved wall, and these are slight.

_Area._—The area occupied by these ruins is 140 ft. from east to west,

and 150 ft. from north to south. There is no main outer wall on the

south side, and it is probable, judging by wall débris, that these

ruins extended some 20 yds. further south.

_Main walls._—These extend from the west side round the north to the

south-east, the rest having disappeared; or possibly Posselt Ruins and

these were originally one immense ruin, so that an outer wall on the

west side might never have existed; but this could not have been the

case with regard to the south side.

The main outer walls average from 5 ft. to 9 ft. in height on their

outer faces, and 3 ft. to 8 ft. on their inner sides, the interior of

the building being on a considerably higher level than the exterior.

This is owing mainly to the natural fall of the ground towards the

north-east and east on which the ruins are built. The widths of the

main walls vary from 6 ft. to 8 ft. on floor level, 5 ft. at 6 ft.

above the floor, while some reduced summits have a width of 5 ft. at 9

ft. above the floor.

_Construction._—These ruins, especially some portions, such as the

massive curved wall, are most excellently built. The selection of

the blocks, the good and even quality of the granite employed, show

that some special importance was attached to these portions of the

ruins. Except for one small buttress, the angular style of building is

absolutely absent from these structures.

The divisional walls are also well built, and are superior to the main

and outer walls of several ruins at Zimbabwe.

_Curved wall._—This wall forms the most prominent feature in these

ruins, and it at once attracts the attention of all visitors on account

of its symmetrical and massive character, excellent workmanship, and

the height of its reduced summit, which has the extraordinary width of

5 ft. at 13 ft. from the ground. The curve is laid on so exact a plan

that it was an easy matter for a surveyor to definitely determine the

centre of the arc. The centre of the curve faces outwards due east,

and standing at the centre of the arc the extremities of the wall

are found to be E.N.E. and E.S.E. respectively. It is 125 ft. round

its inner face at 6 ft. above the remains of cement flooring, and 84

ft. round its outer face at the same height from the ground, but its

outer extremities are hidden behind rounded walls and buttresses. The

distance between the two extremities across the bow is 75 ft., and

from that line to the centre of the curve the distance is 23 ft. The

batter-back of the wall is 1 ft. 3 in. in 10 ft.

The height of the reduced summit for 60 ft. averages 9 ft. to 13 ft.

on either side of the wall, but as these heights are taken from raised

cement steps, platforms, and sections of floors, at least another 2 ft.

or 3 ft. may be added to their present reduced height, for the greatest

height from foundation to summit is 15 ft. 6 in. The original height

may safely be estimated at 20 ft. above the cement flooring. This

estimate is justified by the great amount of wall débris found along

the bases of either side of the wall. On the summit near the south end

of the wall are the remains of a banquette, and these inner terraces or

look-outs are almost invariably behind walls which are at least breast

high above the floor of the banquette; moreover, the batter-back of

the faces of the wall would well allow of a wall 20 ft. high and yet

leave a fairly wide summit. Where the entrance facing the E.N.E. passes

through this wall, the side walls are reduced to 5 ft. in height on

either side above the floor of the entrance, which is 3 ft. above the

foundation of the wall.

This entrance, like those in the main walls of the _Elliptical Temple_,

is carried over the foundation of the wall, and this forms its passage

floor. It is 2 ft. wide and 6 ft. 6 in. long, and has two rounded

buttresses on the inner side, and these have portcullis grooves. These

buttresses are built upon a semi-circular platform projecting 6 ft.

into the interior of the building, thus making the entrance passage

about 12 ft. in length. The floor of the entrance is covered with

granite cement.

One peculiar feature in the construction of this wall is that, while

the northern end is rounded off, the southern end is continued in the

form of a portion of a loop, which circles southwards and eastwards,

and then runs back into the east face of the curved wall, enclosing

an almost circular area of 10 ft. in diameter. The wall in this loop

is well built. The average height of the loop-wall is 6 ft., but on

the south side it rises to 10 ft., where the width of the summit is 3

ft. The interior was rudely filled up with stones, below which was a

cement floor 3 ft. higher than the outside level and 6 ft. above the

foundation. This raised platform or pulpit is approached on the west

side by a few steps leading up to a rounded opening into the loop.

This curved wall, massive as it is, does not form an outer wall of

these ruins, but crosses their centre, dividing them into two parts.

It is apparently independent so far as its plan, superior character of

construction, and purpose are concerned.

At the west side of the curved wall, and at the centre of the curve,

is a wall 23 ft. long projecting towards the interior of the building.

This is 3 ft. high at its western extremity, but its summit rapidly

rises to 8 ft. in height. It has a slight curve towards the south. On

its north side is a small recess extending from base to summit, and

this is exactly similar in construction to the recesses in “_Buttress_”

or “_Recess Enclosure_” on the _Acropolis_.

On either side of this wall, and in the angles formed by the curved

wall, are low granite cement platforms which are rounded on the front

faces. These resemble the “_blind steps_” found in all the main ruins

at Zimbabwe.

The purpose of the erection of the curved wall might possibly have

been for solar or astronomical observations, and though this is a mere

conjecture, the following points may lend it some support:—

(1) In close proximity to this curved wall, and on its eastern side,

was discovered the soapstone beam with carved bird on the summit—this

being the finest specimen yet discovered at Zimbabwe—also phalli and

ancient relics of the oldest type. The soapstone birds had so far been

discovered only at the _Western and Eastern Temples_ on the _Acropolis_.

(2) The discovery under the wall débris which lay along each side of

the wall at its base of quantities of lengths of broken soapstone beams

which, though not carved, had been worked with tools, the widths of the

edges of the chisel being very plainly discernible, some sections being

beautifully rounded and polished. These are believed to have originally

decorated the summit of the wall, a suggestion supported by the shape

and markings on the bases of several beams so discovered. Soapstone

beams once fixed on the summits of walls had previously been discovered

only at the three temples.

(3) The proximity of a small conical tower in an adjoining enclosure at

the north-eastern end of this wall.

(4) The large raised platform formed by the looped wall, and originally

approached by steps on the west side, somewhat corresponds in position

with the _Platform_ in the _Elliptical Temple_ and at the _Western

Temple_, and with the _Balcony_ at the _Eastern Temple_.

_Conical Tower._—This is situated in the most north-easterly enclosure

of these ruins. It is still 6 ft. 6 in. in height, but judging from the

block débris it was once much higher. At 3 ft. 6 in. above the granite

cement floor at its base it has a circumference of 18 ft. 10 in. It is

impossible to measure the circumference of its base, as a large rounded

cement step extends between it and the south wall of the enclosure. The

tower, which has a fair and noticeable batter-back, is very well built.

It has been proved to be solid. Its foundations are 6 in. below the

cement floor. There are four of these small conical towers at Zimbabwe,

two having been discovered in March, 1903. On the east side of this

tower, and built up against its east side, is a small rounded platform

3 ft. high, covered with granite cement, which is approached by two

large steps.

_Entrances._—There are three entrances to these ruins—the north,

north-east, and east—and most probably others will be found as further

exploration work is carried on here.

The north entrance appears to have been the main approach. This

is an intricate entrance, and one which appears to have possessed

considerable importance in the minds of the original builders. It lies

between two outer rounded walls, each 6 ft. high, which curve inwards

towards each other so as to form a passage-way about 6 ft. wide, which

is again narrowed at its southern extremity to 2 ft. 6 in. by two

rounded buttresses on either side. These buttresses have portcullis

grooves. The area opens into a small walled-in area, 10 ft. by 10 ft.,

the walls being 6 ft. high, and very well and substantially built.

The floor is made of granite cement. There are three rounded walls in

this area. A buttress with a portcullis groove is in the south-western

corner of the area, but the corresponding buttress has disappeared. The

walled-in area would have enabled twenty defenders to protect the 2 ft.

6 in. wide entrance from being forced by an attacking party. The west

side of the entrance passage is carried further south by two walls,

each built upon a semi-circular plan.

The north-east entrance opens into the enclosure which contains the

Conical Tower already described. The side walls are 5 ft. high, and 4

ft. and 5 ft. wide at this height from the floor. The entrance is 2 ft.

4 in. wide, and including the steps it is 9 ft. long. A semi-circular

platform projects 6 ft. into the enclosure, and on it are built two

rounded buttresses with portcullis grooves. These buttresses are in an

advanced state of dilapidation. There are three steps between these

buttresses, and these lead down on to the floor of the interior.

An immense slate beam rises out of the ground immediately on the

north-east side of the exterior of the entrance.

At present only the south side of the east entrance has been opened

out. This is 4 ft. high, and is rounded. On the inner side is a

semi-circular buttress hollow inside with an opening into it from the

south side.

All the entrances, of which there are seven in the divisional walls,

are rounded, and most have portcullis grooves.

At the centre of the eastern face of the curved wall is a rounded

entrance with portcullis groove, in which is built a slate beam which

stands 8 ft. above the floor. The total length of the beam is at least

11 ft. This is the most perfect specimen of all the stone lintels built

in portcullis grooves.

_Enclosures._—Judging from sections of divisional walls, there were in

all probability no less than sixteen enclosures in these ruins. Some

were of large area, but subdivided. All the divisional walls are laid

on curved lines. The only complete enclosure is the one on the north

side, where is the Conical Tower. The wall on the south side is from 5

ft. to 9 ft. high, on the west side 5 ft. to 10 ft., and on the north

side, which is the main outer wall of the ruins, 5 ft. This latter

wall, which is curved outwards towards the north-east, is 4 ft. wide at

5 ft. above the ground. A cement floor is laid around the tower. The

west entrance was described earlier under the heading of “_Entrances_.”

_Buttresses._—In these ruins are numerous rounded buttresses. A large

semi-circular buttress 4 ft. to 5 ft. high, 22 ft. round the face,

9 ft. from back to front, and 12 ft. across the back, faces the east

and outer side of the centre of the curved wall, from which point the

buttress is due east at 25 ft. distance. On the west side of this

buttress is a passage with cement floor, rounded steps, and dadoes.

_Drains._—So far as these ruins have been cleared, only two drains have

been exposed, one through a wall 5 ft. wide, which wall runs parallel

to the east side of the large curved wall, and one through the main

wall leading from the north-east enclosure.

_Cement._—Granite cement has been extensively employed at these ruins,

both for flooring, dadoes, and steps, also for platforms in the angles

of walls, which somewhat resemble the “blind steps” in the angles of

the divisional walls of the _Elliptical Temple_.

MAUND RUINS

These ruins, though not extensive, appear to have been of some

importance. They are situated at a distance of 60 yds. from the

east-north-east side of Philips Ruins, and lie almost half-way between

those ruins and the East Ruins.

Their construction is excellent, and the walls are massive, while all

the entrances are rounded, most having possessed a pair of granite

lintel beams. Although built upon by far the lowest level of any

ruin at Zimbabwe, it is the least filled-in, either naturally or

artificially, by any native occupiers. There are very few traces of

Makalanga occupation. The granite cement floors are at a depth of 1 ft.

to 2 ft. below the surface soil within the interior. No ancient relics,

save fragments of soapstone bowls carved with chevron pattern, have

been found here.

The most interesting points as to these ruins are:—

(1) Two very fine rounded ends of walls, both being excellent pieces of

masonry.

(2) Two structures facing east and west respectively, the summits

being approached by large steps, and each associated with one of the

rounded walls.

(3) Sections of red clay walls in the gaps of the stone walls.

The area of these ruins is 143 ft. from east to west, and 138 ft. from

north to south. There is some evidence that these ruins once occupied a

larger area.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan MAUND RUINS “Valley of Ruins” (_Lower

Section_)

P. _Platforms_ CS. _Cement platforms_ ]

There is only one entrance, so far discovered, through the main wall,

and this faces north. It is massive and well built, and opens into a

vestibule enclosure 15 ft. long, 9 ft. wide, and 5 ft. and 7 ft. in

height. The side walls of the entrance are 5 ft. high, the width of the

main wall is 6 ft. 6 in., the width of the passage 3 ft., but narrowed

on the inside to less than 2 ft. by two rounded buttresses with

portcullis grooves, the south one of which has almost disappeared.

The east end of the south wall of the vestibule enclosure is one of

two beautifully rounded ends of walls before referred to. The symmetry

of the batter-back is perfect. This wall is 7 ft. high, 5 ft. wide at

base, and 3 ft. 10 in. at summit. The vestibule has a granite cement

floor. At the east end of the vestibule is one large rounded buttress

with portcullis grooves. The corresponding buttress on the south-west

side is much ruined.

[Illustration: ROUNDED END OF WALL OF WEST SIDE OF MAUND RUINS, SHEWING

STEPS TO PLATFORM, VALLEY OF RUINS]

[Illustration: NORTH-EAST WALL, MAUND RUINS, VALLEY OF RUINS]

On the west side of the ruins, and immediately west of the west wall

of the vestibule wall, and built from wall to wall in the angle of the

main and vestibule wall, is a raised platform 6 ft. high approached

by four rows of stone steps once covered with granite cement. This

structure is apparently different in purpose and construction from

the “_blind steps_” found in some of the ruins at Great Zimbabwe, for

in this instance the platform must have afforded a good position for

seeing over the outer wall, and also for watching the entrance which it

overlooks.

A similar structure is to be found on the east side of these ruins.

This also is an excellent piece of workmanship. The steps in this

instance lead from the west side of the base of the wall to its summit,

and were once covered with granite cement, portions of which still

remain. The wall is 8 ft. high, and its north end is beautifully

rounded. It is 4 ft. 6 in. wide at its base, and 3 ft. wide on the

summit. The north or rounded end of the wall, at 6 ft. above the

ground, turns on each side towards the centre of the summit, forming a

small round tower 2 ft. high. There are four steps, but it is possible

that other steps were in between each of the steps now seen. The summit

of the steps faces due east. This wall is not an outer wall.

There appear to have been at least ten enclosures. There are eleven

divisional entrances, all rounded, of which eight have portcullis

grooves and several have rounded buttresses on the inside. Two long

granite beams and some sections of broken beams were found in most of

the entrances, but not in those in which the portcullis grooves had

been carefully built up.

In the northern enclosures and 2 ft. under the surface were found

several large and massive cement steps laid on curved lines.

MIDDLE SECTION OF “THE VALLEY OF RUINS”

RENDERS RUINS

These are the best-defined ruins of the Middle Section of the Valley of

Ruins, are of better construction, and have walls still standing of a

fairly good height. All the other ruins in this section are almost, if

not quite, impossible to trace, and a view of them gives the impression

that they are of much later construction than the Renders Ruins.

These ruins, which lie east and west, cover an area of 300 ft. from

east to west, and 200 ft. from north to south. They lie within 30

yds. of the south and south-west sides of Posselt Ruins, A and B, the

intervening space, being full of outcrops of walls. On the south and

south-west sides of these ruins is the Upper Section of the Valley of

Ruins.

The most striking features of the Renders Ruins are (1) their

complicated plan; (2) the banquette wall on the summit of the south

wall of No. 3 Enclosure; and (3) the great amount of ancient gold,

Arabian pottery and glass, and other relics discovered in No. 1

Enclosure.

The ruins are built upon the formation rock which slopes down from

south-west to north-east, the floors of all the enclosures being the

bed-rock itself, and this has such a steep gradient that at some points

it makes it difficult for those wearing nailed boots to ascend from the

lower to the higher portions of the ruins.

These ruins are approached from the Mauch Ruins by a passage and steps,

also from the Motelekwe wagon-track, and by a path passing the west end

of Posselt Ruins B. The North-East Passage leading from the Elliptical

Temple is scarcely any longer an approach, as the passage walls have

in some places fallen inwards and blocked the passage.

_No. 1 Enclosure._—This is the most easterly of the enclosures of

these ruins. It is oval in plan, being 73 ft. from east to west, and

52 ft. from north to south. The walls are substantially built, but are

constructed in the style usually found in ruins built at some distance

from any of the main ruins. The highest walls are on the west and

southern sides, and these average from 7 ft. to 9 ft. in height, 4 ft.

to 5 ft. at 5 ft. above the floor in width, and are 4 ft. wide at the

summit. The other walls are considerably dilapidated and average about

4 ft. in height. The bare formation rock forms its floor, and it slopes

considerably from south to north.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan RENDERS’ RUINS Valley of Ruins Middle

Section]

On the rock floor the following “finds” were made: Twenty pieces of

beaten gold and gold wire, a few gold beads, amounting altogether

to 3 ozs. In the yellowish soil above the floor and at a depth of 4

ft. Arabian glass with arabesque patterns most delicately engraved,

beautifully glazed pottery of white clay with different bevels on the

edges, and sunken designs under the glazes which are both sea-green

and a delicate shade of forget-me-not blue, also very thin china of

white clay with rich deep blue-and-gold enamel, also some minutely thin

green glass, a large soapstone bowl, a fine copper chain, and some

other pottery of excellent make and covered with green glaze, which has

the appearance of being ancient or certainly of being of very antique

character. On the upper level was found half a hundred-weight of

twisted iron wire in coils ready to be cut off in lengths for bangles.

The coils were fused together. Coils of fine brass wire similarly

fused, over 200 ivory and glass beads unrecognisable by local natives,

two pairs of double iron gongs, brass bangles, large cakes of copper,

crucibles used for smelting copper, and two hundred-weight of hoes,

axes, and chisels far superior in make to those of the Makalanga of

to-day. The local natives examined this last class of “finds” with much

wonderment. There was a total absence of articles of modern native make.

There is overwhelming evidence that during the last two periods of

occupations of this enclosure it was most extensively occupied as a

copper and iron-smelting place.

On the outer side of the south wall is a remarkable instance of the

silting of the soil from higher ground. The depth of soil on the south

face of the wall is at least 5 ft., and this has been washed into its

present position by the rainstorms of many years. The triangular space

formed by the wall and the sloping granite rock was thus filled in for

a length of fully 70 ft.

There are no signs of any entrances into this enclosure except on the

north-east side, where there is a long gap in the wall.

_No. 2 Enclosure._—This is situated due west of No. 1 Enclosure. Its

area, which is square save on the south side where it slightly rounds

outwards, is 30 ft. by 20 ft. The débris from the high east wall of No.

3 Enclosure has almost filled it up to the summit of its walls. Nothing

of any antiquarian value was found here, but the examination work was

only partial. This enclosure probably acted as a passage-way from the

North-East Passage to Nos. 1 and 5 Enclosures, and possibly towards the

Lower Section of “The Valley of Ruins.”

_No. 3 Enclosure._—The plan of this enclosure, which lies directly west

of No. 2 Enclosure, is almost circular save that its north-east wall is

slightly squared. The area is 39 ft. from north to south, and 36 ft.

from east to west. The walls are exceedingly massive, some being 7 ft.

wide at base and 5 ft. wide on the present summit at 7 ft. from the

ground. They are obviously of better construction than any of the other

walls of these ruins.

On the summit of the south wall are the remains of a banquette wall

still 4 ft. long and 4 ft. high, which makes the total height of the

wall at this point 11 ft. There is only one entrance, which is on the

north-west, is rounded, and has portcullis grooves.

This enclosure has not as yet yielded any article of an antique

character, but modern native articles are practically absent.

_No. 4 Enclosure._—This is practically an open space separating these

ruins on the south side from the ruins which are on higher ground,

and extend up to the north-east walls of the Elliptical Temple. In

area it is 150 ft. long from east to west, and averages in width from

north to south some 50 ft. It is bounded on the south by three long

semi-circular terraced walls, each about 8 ft. in height. Its floor on

the north side is of formation rock, which slopes at a steep gradient

to the north side where soil has silted in to a depth of 5 ft. On the

north-east side it is bounded by the outer faces of Enclosures Nos. 1,

2, and 3.

The North-East Passage runs into the south-west corner of the area,

and there are steps and a passage leading down from Mauch Ruins at the

south-east corner of the area.

In this enclosure were found some fine pottery with Arabic lettering

on the rim with beautiful designs, also a few gold beads.

_No. 5 Enclosure._—This area is 86 ft. from north to south, and 40 ft.

from east to west. It is bounded by No. 8 Enclosure on the west, by

No. 2 Enclosure on the south, and by No. 1 Enclosure and a large open

space not yet explored on the east and north sides. The walls are still

fairly high, averaging 9 ft. on the south side, 8 ft. on the west, 7

ft. on the north and east sides. The construction is massive, the walls

averaging 5 ft. to 6 ft. in width at base.

The entrance on the north-east side is rounded and had portcullis

grooves. The foundations of the wall, as in all the older buildings,

form the floor of the passage.

The only other entrance is in the south-east corner, and this leads

into No. 2 Enclosure.

_No. 6 Enclosure._—This enclosed area is directly on the west side of

No. 3 Enclosure, and is 90 ft. from east to west, and averages 35 ft.

from north to south. Possibly it contained sub-divisions, for small

walls and traces of walls are to be found within it. The average height

of the walls, so far as they are intact, is from 6 ft. to 8 ft. The

floor of this enclosure is formed of granite rock which slopes slightly

to the north. The eastern end of the south wall runs up a steep rock

incline sideways, and is in consequence much dilapidated.

The North-East Passage runs from No. 4 Enclosure into this area at

its south-east corner where it divides, one part going down into “The

Valley,” while the other, following along the higher ground, trends to

the west as far as No. 1 Ruins.

The two entrances at the south-east corner of the enclosure where

the North-East Passage divides are both rounded—the entrance on the

north-east side is also rounded.

_No. 7 Enclosure and Passage._—This enclosure, which is triangular in

form, is the most westerly of all the clearly defined areas of the

Renders Ruins. It is 28 ft. long on its western side, 18 ft. on its

north-east side, and 29 ft. on its southern side. The inner faces of

the walls average 8 ft. in height. A large entrance, evidently of some

importance, is on the west side. This is rounded and has portcullis

grooves, while the side walls are 5 ft. high and the passage is 3 ft. 6

in. wide. Steps led from the entrance downwards on the outward side.

A drain runs through the south wall leading from No. 6 Enclosure.

A passage 31 ft. long with side walls 6 ft. high leads from this

enclosure into No. 8.

_No. 8 Enclosure_ appears to be of a very chaotic and irregular

character, mounds of soil, piles of stones, and traces of

sub-divisional walls being the principal features of this area, the

surface measurements of which are 150 ft. from east to west, and 70 ft.

from north to south. Soil has been evidently brought into the enclosure

for the purpose of forming platforms on which are the remains of very

old Makalanga clay huts.

Probably there were at least six sub-divisions of this enclosure. On

the north, north-west, west, and south-west the walls average 6 ft.

to 9 ft. in height, and about 4 ft. on the other sides. The walls are

substantial and are fairly well built in places, the more substantial

building being on the west side, where there is a prominent end of an

angular wall 15 ft. high facing the north.

There are at least four entrances to this enclosure, viz. one on the

north side which is rounded, a second on the south side which is also

rounded and has portcullis grooves, one on the north-east side which is

angular, and the fourth on the east side, and this is rounded.

UPPER SECTION OF “THE VALLEY OF RUINS”

MAUCH RUINS

These are well-defined ruins, and they form part of the Upper Section

of “The Valley of Ruins,” and are situated on the north-east of the

north-east extremity of the chevron pattern on the Elliptical Temple at

a distance of 105 yds. They occupy the granite plateau on the edge of

steep ground overlooking the Middle and Lower Sections of “The Valley

of Ruins.”

The plan and the excellently constructed portions of some of the walls,

and the class of relics found here in 1903, when these ruins were

partially cleared out, all point to the building having a distinct

claim to some antiquity, although of a more subsequent age than that of

some of the main ruins.

The distinctive features of this ruin are its high walls, a passage

running parallel with the inside of the main north-east wall, a large

semi-circular buttress or platform, and the quantity of beaten gold and

gold wire discovered here.

_Main walls._—The workmanship of some of the lengths of main walls

is excellent, but some are of inferior construction, portions being

obviously reconstructions with the joints plainly visible. There are at

least two reconstructed walls—one on the west side of the main wall,

and the other on the north-east side of the Parallel Passage. In the

inferior portions blocks of all sizes and shapes have been employed.

The best-built portions are the north-east main wall and the divisional

wall which runs north-east to south-west. All the main walls are built

upon a curved plan.

The main walls are still high, though evidently somewhat reduced from

their original heights. The heights from the outside surface average

from 9 ft. to 12 ft., and in places the level of the summits is very

fairly maintained. From the interior surface the heights vary from 7

ft. to 10 ft.

The widths of the walls are evenly maintained throughout, being about

4 ft. 6 in. wide at 4 ft. above the ground, and 3 ft. to 3 ft. 6 in.

at a summit of 12 ft., the battering-back being about 1 ft. in 8 ft.

Some of the walls have been thrown out of batter, and the upper edges

overhang.

All the ends of the walls are rounded, except in the large divisional

wall, where is an unfinished end facing north, which terminates

abruptly.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan MAUCH RUINS “Valley of Ruins” (_Upper

Section_)]

_Interior Area._—The measurements of the interior are: 98 ft. from

east to west, and 83 ft. from north to south. The area is of a rough

oval shape. It originally contained at least three enclosures. The

soil filling-in is artificial. The elevation of the ruin precludes any

suggestion of silting in naturally. This work is believed to be that of

all local natives of some few generations past.

_Parallel Passage._—This is 99 ft. long down its centre, and was most

probably much longer, as its extremities disappear in débris. The

north-east side wall of the passage, which is the main wall, is from

7 ft. to 9 ft. high at the eastern end, and there is a break owing to

dilapidations at 50 ft. west of this point, while near the lower or

western end the walls on either side are 7 ft. high. The north-west end

is formed by a wall 7 ft. high, a low wall, a semi-circular wall, and

boulders. On the south side, and opposite the opening in the north-east

wall, steps to a somewhat higher level can be traced, leading

southwards up from the passage, and these steps have a rounded wall on

each side. The rounded end of the north-east main wall is a fine piece

of workmanship. The passage is from 3 ft. to 4 ft. wide.

_Entrances._—There are five entrances, and each is rounded, and all

the buttresses are also rounded. One entrance leads into the ruin on

the west side, and there are rounded buttresses on either side, which

are erected on a semi-circular platform projecting 16 ft. into the

interior. This entrance opens into a passage which was discovered by

Bent (1891), but was not opened out till 1903. A second entrance is in

the north-east wall, but on its western side only traces of the side

wall remain. A third entrance is on the east side of the building. This

is 6 ft. high on either side, and is without buttresses or portcullis

grooves. The floor of the passage is formed by the foundation walls.

This entrance leads into an outer enclosure on the eastern side. The

last entrance is between the south end of the large divisional wall

and the semi-circular buttress or platform. Possibly a buttress has

disappeared from the south side of this entrance.

_Divisional walls._—There are two divisional walls, one being the wall

already mentioned as separating the two main enclosures. This runs

north-east from the large semi-circular buttress for 16 ft. It is 9

ft. high and is well built, and has a drain passing through the lower

courses. The north-eastern extremity of this wall is 32 ft. from the

inside face of the main north-east wall. The other wall is 15 ft. long,

and runs out eastwards from the inside face of the main west wall.

This is 7 ft. high, but its height is reduced to 3 ft. at its eastern

extremity. It is 3 ft. wide at the surface level.

_Drain-holes._—There are three well-constructed drains running through

walls; one passes the divisional wall which is on the eastern side

of the building, another passes through the main eastern wall into

the outer enclosure, and the third is in the east wall of the outer

enclosure.

_Semi-circular Buttress._—This structure lies on the south side of

the ruins, and projects 16 ft. into the interior. The total length

round the face is 32 ft. It is 24 ft. across the back, and 10 ft. high

on the west, 6 ft. high on the north, and 6 ft. high on the east. It

appears to be perfectly solid, and once to have had a level surface.

Large trees have grown on its south and west sides, and have done

considerable damage to it. Two small walls are on its north-east side,

and these run towards the buttress as if they once had formed the

approach to the summit.

_Outer Enclosure._—On the eastern side is an enclosure, but somewhat

roughly built. It is 51 ft. from north to south, and 30 ft. from east

to west at its southern end, and 19 ft. from east to west at its

northern end. This enclosure has been extensively filled in with soil

and the usual Kafir débris, among which were found two pairs of double

iron gongs.

_West Passage._—This passage, which was discovered by Bent in 1891,

runs along the outer side of the main west wall for 60 ft. It is 3

ft. to 4 ft. wide, and the wall on the west side of it is very much

dilapidated. From the western entrance to these ruins the passage runs

27 ft. further north, and descends some 29 ft. by means of stairs, and

then passes out between high walls on to the granite floor of _Renders

Ruins_, which are in the Middle Section of “The Valley of Ruins.”

_General._—The position of the Mauch Ruins on their east and north-east

sides is strengthened for defensive purposes by a steep drop of about

12 ft. down on to the level occupied by the Middle Section of “The

Valley of Ruins.” This drop is formed by an almost vertical granite

glacis, which it would have been very difficult to climb.

_Finds._—Gold wire, beaten gold, and gold beads, and portions of

sea-green glazed pottery of white clay.

SOUTH-EAST RUINS

These ruins are situated at the south-eastern extremity of the Zimbabwe

Ruins’ area where the Valley of Ruins terminates on its eastern side,

and are only ten minutes’ walk from Havilah Camp. They occupy a summit

of a bare and rounded kopje, commanding most extensive views of the

country beyond Schlichter Gorge to the south and of the Arowi district

towards the east-north-east. Its position is highly strategetic, and

there is a steep descent on the south-west side into a deep gorge, down

which the stream rising on the east side of the Elliptical Temple flows

toward the Mapudzi.

The area of well-defined walls is 140 ft. from north to south, and

120 ft. from east to west, but there are traces of walls in all

directions—on the south at 70 yds. and on the south-west at 20 yds.

distance. The formation rock crops to the present surface at many

places, and the depth of soil elsewhere is inconsiderable.

The style of building very closely resembles that of Ridge Ruins, which

lie between the Elliptical Temple and Havilah Camp, as to which there

are considerable doubts of its being of very remote antiquity.

The walls, the majority of which are of massive proportions, are not at

all well built, blocks of all sizes and shapes having been employed,

and there is little or no attempt to adhere to courses. The present

reduced average height of the walls is from 4 ft. to about 6 ft., but,

judging from wall débris, every wall must have originally been at least

some 7 ft. or 8 ft. in height. The walls are from 4 ft. to 5 ft. wide

at base, and 3 ft. to 4 ft. wide at their very much reduced summits.

The plan of the building is laid on curved lines, and the only entrance

which remains intact has rounded sides. It is possible these buildings

once had six outer and inner entrances. The main entrance appears to

have been on the west side.

[Illustration: SOUTH-EAST RUINS Zimbabwe

_Single figures are heights of walls in feet._]

There are about eight enclosures, and in some of these there are

remains of very old Makalanga huts, and the soil of the interior is

filled with great quantities of Kafir pottery, iron-work, iron slag,

cattle bones, and ashes. Two Kafir graves were found, but these were

not of any great age. Local natives state their own people once lived

here, but not in their time, and this is extremely probable; but they

do not think the walls were built by any Makalanga.

On the east side, just outside the main wall, there are three sets of

_isafuba_ game-holes cut into the formation rock. Each set has four

rows of eight holes each.

The ruins have been but partially examined at several points, but

nothing of any antique character has been found here.

CHAPTER XX

“THE VALLEY OF RUINS”

(_Continued_)

No. 1 Ruins—Ridge Ruins—Camp Ruins, Nos. 1 and 2.

NO. 1 RUINS

These ruins, which are of an important character, lie on the north side

of the Elliptical Temple at a distance of 63 yds. from the north-west

entrance to that building, with which it is connected by a substantial

and well-constructed wall running out due north from the north-west

outer face of the main wall of the temple at 43 ft. west from the

north-west entrance and at the points [705 ft.] and [710 ft.].

Visitors would know this ruin as the one which lies back on the

left-hand side of the path leading from Havilah Camp to the west

entrance of the Elliptical Temple, and as the one with the tall

column-like forms of the aloes crowned with fleshy leaves which line

the summit of its walls, as also do the candelabra-shaped branches

of numerous large euphorbia trees which together impart to these

walls a pre-Raphaelite appearance peculiarly striking because of

its old-world-looking character. But though this ruin may be known

to visitors, they rarely examine its enclosures, for the internal

portions, owing to extensive excavations during past years, are most

uneven, and require some climbing over their irregular surfaces.

Whether the age of this ruin synchronises with that of the Elliptical

Temple is for several obvious reasons open to some question, but that

it is “ancient” admits of no possible doubt. Its architecture and

construction are both inferior to those of the Elliptical Temple, and

to many ruins throughout the country which belong to the earliest type

of Zimbabwe buildings, though it must be admitted that great care is

shown in its construction. Possibly these buildings are of somewhat

later date than the Elliptical Temple, while the purpose to which

it was devoted was such as not to warrant such elaborate care being

lavished upon it as on the temples and the buildings used as residences.

Excavators have literally turned this ruin inside out, and have

excavated whole areas to depths of 5 ft. to 7 ft. till the granite

formation was reached, and have left some of the foundations both bare

and undermined. There is no doubt that the building has thus been

completely ransacked, and yet there is nothing to show that it was

either a temple or a place where at any time gold-smelting was carried

on, there being no traces of gold furnaces, blow-pipes, crucibles,

scorifiers, or cement spattered with gold; in fact, pannings of such

soil as still remains within it has not so far shown any “traces”

or fragments of gold wire or beads and pellets of gold such as are

so frequently and abundantly found in other ruins at Zimbabwe. Nor

have any indications of copper-smelting been found here as in other

ruins. There is no suggestion in its plan that it was a temple.

Certainly there is no decorative pattern on its walls, nor are there

any monoliths, nor even fragments of what might have been monoliths.

Certainly stones said to be phalli have been found there, but a few

years ago it was the fashion in Rhodesia to style every stone of

peculiar shape a phallus. But supposing some of these objects were

undoubted phalli, these might easily have come from the Elliptical

Temple a few yards away, especially seeing that the north-west entrance

to the temple was enclosed on either hand by walls of No. 1 Ruins,

and that phalli and miniature soapstone birds have been discovered

by almost all explorers of these ruins among the débris deposited

outside all three entrances to the temple. The inner banquette walls

on either side of the north-west entrance to these ruins, as well as

the massively built outer walls, strongly suggest a fortification,

and the conglomeration of tall buttresses overlooking the Elliptical

Temple, and also “The Valley of Ruins,” rather confirms this view,

especially as the ruins contain no evidences of any industry having

been carried on by the ancients within them. Moreover, these are

the only ruins of any importance on the north and west sides of the

Elliptical Temple which could possibly have served as a fort for the

protection of that side of the temple, and its site occupies a strongly

strategetic position on the summit of sloping ground. Unless it was

a fortification, the whole flank of the area of small ruins in the

vicinity of the north entrance would have been undefended, for on the

northern and eastern sides of such area of ruins are very substantially

built forts occupying elevations of vantage.

Sir John Willoughby states that the design of this building is very

irregular, the inner walls terminate abruptly and form only three sides

of an enclosure with floors ever varying in their relative levels, the

wall foundations are of unequal depths, and the interiors of some of

the walls are carelessly filled in with stones, this latter being a

feature absent in the earliest types of Zimbabwes, but present in later

ruins.

All these departures from the style of construction as employed in

the Elliptical Temple, and in very many of the ruins at Zimbabwe, are

obvious to anyone on making an inspection, as also the irregularity in

the sizes of the stones of any single course, the poorer quality of

the granite, the employment of unhewn stones, and the introduction of

the angular and plumb style of building so peculiarly absent in the

Elliptical Temple and elsewhere at Zimbabwe. There are no drain-holes

in any of the walls of these ruins.

Of old and recent Makalanga occupations of these ruins there is

ample evidence. Kafir pottery, bones, ashes, and scraps of iron are

abundant, and the clay foundations of Makalanga huts and granaries can

be seen in every enclosure on floors overlying rudely filled-in areas.

These ruins occupy an area of 62 yds. from east to west, and 54 yds.

from north to south. The portion of the ruins in the best condition, as

well as the most important parts, are situated on the west side. The

north and east portions are the most dilapidated. The building on the

north and north-east sides is on the edge of a sharp slope down into a

valley which contains the walls of several minor ruins.

[Illustration: N^o. 1 RUINS Zimbabwe]

The main or outer wall of these ruins runs for 185 ft. from the west

entrance on the west side of the building round in a curve outwards

towards the west-north-west, north, and north-east. There are three

short gaps in the northern portion of the wall. On the whole, the

greater portion of the wall is still in a fairly good condition,

it being from 12 ft. to 15 ft. high above the outside level of the

bed-rock on which its foundations are laid. The wall is practically

plumb as compared with the main wall of the Elliptical Temple, besides

being angular at the entrances. It is 4 ft. wide at 6 ft. above the

outside level, but the north-western side is slightly wider. The wall,

though substantially constructed, does not show great evenness of

courses, while the sizes of the blocks vary considerably. Near the west

entrance it is very poorly built, while the wall on the opposite side

of the passage is excellently constructed. Possibly this indifferently

built portion was repaired at a much later date. It is on this wall

that grew the tall aloes and large euphorbia trees, some of which have

recently been removed. The north and north-east portions of the wall,

being built upon the edge of the declivity, tend to give the wall

a more imposing appearance, while its elevated position commands a

splendid view of “The Valley of Ruins.” The large mound on the north

side of the north-west entrance is soil débris brought by explorers

from the interior of the ruins in 1892.

Three entrances pass through this wall, on the west, north-west, and

north sides.

The west entrance is 2 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. wide, the west side wall

being 4 ft. to 5 ft. high, and the east side 5 ft. to 7 ft. high. The

entrance walls are plumb and angular. There are no buttresses on either

side, and no portcullis groves. The entrance leads into Enclosure A,

but there are traces of a wall which runs across the inside at a short

distance, and might have been that of a sort of vestibule to Enclosure

A. Immediately on the outside of this entrance there is a passage

between the outer face of the main wall on the east side and the east

wall of Enclosures W X Y Z on the west side, and this passage, which is

46 ft. long, 3 ft. 6 in. wide and has the west side wall 5 ft. high,

actually forms part of the entrance. At 31 ft. from the north end of

the passage there is one side of a rounded entrance into Enclosure Y.

There are no traces of steps having been built here.

The north-west entrance was evidently the main entrance. It is the

largest and best-constructed of all these entrances. It has a banquette

wall on either hand in the interior, also a strongly built vestibule

with entrances into Enclosures C and D, and opposite the entrance on

the outside are walls of other ruins.

It is 3 ft. 6 in. wide, 7 ft. long, and the walls on either side are

only 6 ft. high, but they rise sharply to the level of the general line

of summit of the wall. Three feet of the length of the entrance on the

east side are formed by the end of the banquette wall, but on the west

side the banquette wall is only about 16 in. wide. The entrance is

angular and plumb and has portcullis grooves. This is the only instance

so far discovered where a completely angular entrance has portcullis

grooves, also the only instance where the main or, indeed, any outer

entrance has such grooves, except the north entrance to this ruin,

which is partly angular and partly rounded. There is no indication that

this entrance was once covered in.

Immediately on the inside of this entrance is a small enclosure which

served as a vestibule and as an approach to enclosures C and D. This is

9 ft. long, 6 ft. wide, and the walls are from 5 ft. to 8 ft. above the

paved floor which was destroyed some years ago. At the west end there

is a passage 4 ft. 4 in. long and 2 ft. 10 in. wide with angular sides

leading into Enclosure C, the walls on either side being 4 ft. to 5 ft.

high. At the east end of this vestibule is a passage 9 ft. long and 2

ft. 10 in. wide leading to Enclosure D, the walls on either side being

5 ft. to 7 ft. high.

The north entrance opens into Enclosure D at its north-east corner. It

is angular on the outside but rounded on the inside. It is 2 ft. 10

in. wide, 4 ft. 6 in. long, and the walls on either side are now only

from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high. There are portcullis grooves in the rounded

portions of the side walls. The entrance does not pass through the wall

at right angles, but obliquely towards the north, which the opening

faces. A wall runs north for 15 ft. from the east outer side of the

entrance, but its extremity terminates in block débris. In the angle

of the two walls at the outer foot of the entrance are traces of steps

leading for a few feet down the declivity along the west side of the

projecting wall.

The banquette wall rounds round the inside face of the main wall

on either side of the north-east or main entrance, and forms a

terrace behind it which would afford a good view over the main wall.

Practically the main wall and the banquette wall are one and the same

structure at certain points, since the stones of the main wall project

into the banquette; but at other points they are independent of each

other, and at these points the space between the two structures is

filled in with stones to the level of the summit of the banquette.

The eastern length of banquette starts from the east side of the

north-west entrance and runs along the inside of the main wall into

Enclosure D for a length of 17 ft., the summit being 6 ft. high

and 3 ft. 6 in. wide at the entrance and 5 ft. wide at its eastern

extremity. This length of banquette cannot be described as of excellent

workmanship.

The western length of banquette is 48 ft. long and 4 ft. to 8 ft.

high, and is 1 ft. wide at the north-west entrance, but widens out to

11 ft. at the west end, where it connects with the “conglomeration of

buttresses,” all rounded, which overlook every part of this ruin. The

workmanship in this length of banquette is somewhat inferior.

There are at least ten enclosures, and these, for the purposes of this

description, are lettered from A to H or named. On the west side there

are four outer enclosures, and these are lettered W to Z.

_Enclosure A._—The area of this enclosure is 105 ft. from north to

south, its longest points, and 51 ft. from east to west, its widest

points. It has four entrances.

The north-west entrance is the west entrance to these ruins, and has

already been described.

The south-west entrance is approached by an outer passage on this

side, but the actual entrance, owing to the amount of débris, can only

be traced, the débris being level with the summits of the walls on

either side. These walls are from 4 ft. to 5 ft. high, 3 ft. 6 in. on

their present summits, and are fairly well built. The passage walls

are 8 ft. apart for a length of 64 ft. from this enclosure towards the

south-west, at which point they curve off in different directions,

the west side wall running a further 51 ft. towards the west, with

traces of continuation. The east side wall curves round towards the

south-south-east for 105 ft., including gaps, and at its extremity

it becomes lost in débris, but in all probability, judging by recent

clearing away of débris and also by excavations, it ran up to the west

outer face of the Elliptical Temple. There are no signs of any entrance

passing through these side walls. The workmanship of both walls is

fairly good.

The north-east entrance is from Enclosure E, which lies on the

north-east side. This was a wide entrance with rounded sides, and

appears to have been built at a higher level than the floor of

Enclosure A, but the entrance and the steps leading up to it are now

almost lost in débris.

The east entrance is from Enclosure B. This was rounded, but is now

filled in to the top by wall débris.

The floor of this enclosure is formed by bed-rock. The highest parts of

the walls are as follows: south side, 4 ft.; east side, 7 ft.; north

side, 14 ft.; and west side, 5 ft. to 8 ft.

_Enclosure B._—The area of this enclosure, which lies at the south-east

side of Enclosure A, is 49 ft. from north to south and 23 ft. from east

to west. This enclosure has two entrances, the one on the west side

being the east entrance to Enclosure A, while the one on the north

side is from a passage which connects this enclosure with Enclosure F.

Both entrances are rounded. This enclosure appears to have been cleared

out to below the levels of the bottom of the foundations.

The passage connecting Enclosures B and F runs from south-west to

north-east. Including the two entrances, it is 23 ft. long, and 3 ft.

wide at the south-west end, and 5 ft. wide at the north-east end. The

side walls, which are very substantial, are still 8 ft. high. The

entrance from this passage into Enclosure F is formed by two large

rounded buttresses with portcullis grooves.

_Enclosure C._—This enclosure is on the west side of the ruins, and

is on the south side of the main and north-west entrance to these

ruins, and north of Enclosure A, and is on the inner side of the west

portion of the main wall. Its length from north to south is 43 ft.,

and its width from east to west 17 ft. The western length of banquette

wall forms its west side, and the face of this wall is poorly built.

The south wall must be considered as badly built. On its south and

south-east sides is the “conglomeration of buttresses,” the character

of which can better be seen by glancing at the accompanying plan. The

buttresses are almost circular, and have their centres filled with

stones, thrown in most promiscuously. The east wall is well built;

still it is inferior to any of the main walls of the Elliptical Temple.

Through this wall is an aperture 2 ft. wide and with side walls 3 ft.

high. The floor of this enclosure has been cleared away in places,

showing the foundations of the walls.

_Enclosure D._—This enclosure is on the inner side of the north portion

of the main wall, and east of the north-west entrance to these ruins

and of the Entrance Enclosure.

The area of this enclosure is 41 ft. from north to south, and 45 ft.

from east to west. It is bounded on the north, west, and south sides by

the banquette and main walls for 23 ft., on the west by the Entrance

Enclosure for 5 ft., and by Enclosure EE for 18 ft., on the south by

a wall dividing it from Enclosure E for 10 ft., but the rest of the

southern boundary wall for 12 ft. is now only débris, and in places can

barely be traced. On the east side is a wall 15 ft. long, 4 ft. high, 2

ft. 10 in. wide on present summit, which separates this enclosure from

Enclosure H; the rest of the eastern boundary is lost in débris.

From the north inner side of the main wall at 20 ft. from the

north-west corner of this enclosure there is a wall 4 ft. high

projecting southwards into the enclosure for 5 ft., and this has an

angular end.

A wall 6 ft. long, forming part of the passage from the north-west

entrance, projects into this enclosure. Judging by the arrangement of

débris in the space between this wall and the main wall, it is very

probable that there were steps here leading up to the summit of the

banquette wall.

At the eastern corner of this enclosure is the north entrance to these

ruins. This has already been described.

_Enclosure EE._—This enclosure is bounded on the north by Enclosure

D, on the north-west by Entrance Enclosure, on the west by Enclosure

C, and on the south by Enclosure E. Its area is 26 ft. from north to

south, and 27 ft. from east to west.

The floor of the south-west corner was once at a higher level than that

of the rest of the enclosure, and to this originally raised portion

there are remains of a narrow-rounded entrance on the south side, now

filled up with débris, from Enclosure E. There are traces of steps up

to this raised entrance. The floor of the aperture in the wall on the

east side of Enclosure C appears to have been on the level of this

raised floor.

_Enclosure E._—This lies directly to the south of Enclosure EE. Its

area is 49 ft. from north to south, and 48 ft. from east to west. It

is bounded on the west for 49 ft. by a wall and the “conglomeration

of buttresses” already mentioned, which respectively separates it from

Enclosures A and C; on the south for 45 ft. by Enclosures B and the

passage which connects Enclosures B and F; on the east for 36 ft. by

a wall and a large rounded buttress, which is one of the prominent

features of these ruins; the rest of the east boundary cannot be

traced, owing to débris piles; lastly, on the north by Enclosures EE

and D.

There are still two entrances remaining—one from Enclosure A and the

other from Enclosure C. Both are approached from the enclosure by

steps, now ruined but traceable, leading up either side of the central

buttress of the “conglomeration of buttresses.”

The large buttress on the east side is semi-circular, the centre of

its face is towards the west. It is 6 ft. high, 30 ft. round its face,

and is fairly well built, it being a wall with its internal portion

promiscuously thrown in till its summit was levelled throughout.

On the south-west are two rounded buttresses with their faces towards

the east and west respectively.

The enclosure contains piles of excavators’ soil débris of some age.

_Enclosure F._—This is situated on the east side of Enclosure E, and

lies between that enclosure and Enclosure G. Its area is roughly

circular, it being 37 ft. from north to south, and 42 ft. from east to

west. Its southern boundary is formed for 37 ft. by the outer south

wall of these ruins, which wall is 5 ft. high and 4 ft. wide on its

present very reduced summit. There is a gap of 12 ft. on its north-west

side, where there are now only traces of a wall.

The enclosure has two entrances now remaining—the entrance from the

passage leading from Enclosure B, which has already been described,

and an entrance through the outer south wall. This entrance which

is rounded is 2 ft. 6 in. wide, the side walls are 3 ft. high, and

there are portcullis grooves on either hand, and these have been

deliberately built up. This enclosure resembles the other portions of

these ruins with regard to large piles of soil débris on its area.

_Enclosure G._—This is the most easterly enclosure in these ruins. It

is bounded on the south by Enclosure F, on the west by Enclosure H,

and on the north and east by the outer east wall of the ruins, which

wall is 8 ft. high and 3 ft. 6 in. wide on its present summit. Its

area is 35 ft. from east to west, and 47 ft. from north to south. It

possessed three entrances, and these were on its west, north, and east

sides. The west entrance is barely distinguishable, but has traces of

its having been angular. The north entrance has rounded sides, and

leads from Enclosure H, a wall 22 ft. long and 5 ft. high forming a

division between the two enclosures. The enclosure has been filled in

with débris up to the level of this wall and overlooks the east end of

Enclosure H, which here is very much lower. The east entrance through

the outer wall is rounded on its south side, but the north side has

disappeared.

_Enclosure H._—This lies on the inner side of the north and north-east

portions of the main wall, which here is considerably broken. It is

bounded on the west by Enclosure D, on the south by Enclosures E and

F, and on the east by Enclosure G. Most probably there was an entrance

between the main wall on the east side and Enclosure G, and this led

to the network of ruins which are built up against this side of No. 1

Ruins and extend for some 300 yds. towards the east. The area of this

enclosure is 53 ft. from east to west, and 31 ft. from north to south.

The western end of this enclosure is considerably higher than the

eastern end.

_Outer enclosures._—Four enclosures lie to the west of the south-west

extremity of the main wall, and are separated from it by the passage

which leads to the west entrance of these ruins, and connects these

enclosures with Enclosure A.

These enclosures adjoin one another in a single line broadways from

south to north, there being a common wall for all of them on their west

sides. These enclosures are lettered W to Z, commencing at the south

end.

Their areas are as follows:—

W 25 ft. N. to S., and 20 ft. E. to W.

X 15 ft. 〃 26 ft. 〃

Y 12 ft. 〃 22 ft. 〃

Z 16 ft. 〃 19 ft. 〃

RIDGE RUINS

These ruins are situated on the highest point of the bare granite ridge

which extends from the north-west of the _Elliptical Temple_ towards

the north-west, and curves towards the north, where it terminates at

_Havilah Camp_.

The southern extremity of these ruins is 140 yds. from the north-west

side of the _Elliptical Temple_ and 100 yds. west of _No. 1 Ruins_. The

path from the outspan and camp to the water springs and the _Elliptical

Temple_ passes close to its west side, while another path to the

_Temple_ passes close to its east side. The _Outer Defence Wall_,

which runs from the west side of the _Temple_ round towards the west,

north-west, and north of the _Acropolis Hill_, runs parallel to the

west side of these ruins at a distance of 96 ft. A number of euphorbia

trees and aloes line its walls, which are now comparatively low, the

highest parts being about 9 ft.

The whale-back granite glacis on which these ruins are built dips

sharply from immediately outside the walls all round these ruins,

except at the south-east end, which is here only slightly higher than

the present ground level outside the _Elliptical Temple_. Except for

vegetable mould at a few points, the whole of the floors of these ruins

are formed by the formation rock.

The plan of these ruins shows an oval area, with a long and wide outer

passage running along its east side for 246 ft. from the north to the

south of the oval enclosure, this passage having its southern extremity

well protected by traverses and buttressed entrances.

These ruins, though built of irregularly sized stones, have the faces

of the walls which still remain remarkably true and even, so much so

that experienced builders after examining the walls state that with

such irregularly sized stones it would be most difficult to erect

walls with faces as true as those of these ruins. There appears to

be no similarity whatever between the second-period architecture and

construction and these ruins, except that the filling-in of the walls

between their faces is more promiscuous than is the case with walls

of first-period architecture and construction. Its entrances and

buttresses are all rounded, and the walls have a fair batter-back,

there being no plumb wall present.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan RIDGE RUINS Zimbabwe.]

It would be difficult to state the purpose these ruins were intended to

serve, but seeing they occupy the most westerly position of the main

ruins’ area, and that they are built on a commanding and strategetic

position, it might be inferred, if their claim to any great antiquity

were established, that their purpose was that of a fort, defending

not only the westerly side of the main ruins’ area, but also part of

a main line of communication, of which the Parallel Passage formed

a section, between the _Elliptical Temple_ and the west end of the

_Acropolis Hill_. This suggestion is, in fact, apparently supported by

the numerous traverses in the passage, traces of which can still be

noticed, and by the fact that the oval enclosure overlooks the passage

throughout its length. But, as stated before, these ruins cannot at

present be classed as _ancient_, though they are undoubtedly of great

age.

_Oval Enclosure._—The area of the oval enclosure is 170 ft. from north

to south, and 86 ft. from east to west. These are its longest and its

widest points. The floor is formed by comparatively level surfaces of

granite rock. There is very little soil within the enclosure, and this

consists of black mould, decomposed cement, and native clay. The walls

still standing average some 4 ft. to 7 ft. in height, and are about 3

ft. 6 in. wide on their present reduced summits, and are battered-back.

Plumb and angular walls are absent. The east wall is at one point

carried over a large boulder 8 ft. high, and a few courses of blocks on

the summit still remain. The north wall is considerably dilapidated,

and the débris of this portion lies on the face of the declivity.

The external faces of the walls are in a much better condition than

the inner faces, for trees and shrubs which could not grow on the

outer granite slopes manage to thrive in the very scanty soil of the

interior. This enclosure has been used by the natives as a cattle

kraal. Though cattle could not climb into the enclosure from outside,

they no doubt damaged the inside faces of the walls by attempting to

get outside from over the walls. The material for the stone foundations

of circular huts of no very great age, which are to be seen in the

enclosure, was very probably taken from the inside faces of the walls.

These Makalanga stone foundations, which are identical with those found

in old Makalanga kraals, occupy the following positions. At 60 ft.

from the south end and 12 ft. from the west side, foundations of stone

blocks 19 ft. in diameter. At 110 ft. from south end and almost facing

the west entrance, stone foundations of hut 22 ft. in diameter. At 8

ft. from north end foundation blocks disarranged and exact measurement

impossible. At 60 ft. from south end and 10 ft. from east side is

another foundation, but here again the blocks have become considerably

disturbed.

This enclosure has two entrances, and these are on the south and west

sides respectively. The south entrance is comparatively intact, but the

west entrance is buried in wall débris and can only be traced on one

side. Both are rounded. The south entrance walls are 3 ft. 6 in. high,

the passage is 2 ft. wide and 7 ft. long, and there are portcullis

grooves. The north side of the west entrance is formed by a large

boulder 6 ft. high.

There is no trace of ornamentation on the walls, but if it ever

existed, the walls having become so reduced, it must have disappeared.

No article was found for which the slightest antiquity could be

claimed, all the finds being obviously of native make, though somewhat

superior to their make of to-day.

_Parallel Passage._—Roughly speaking, the passage throughout its length

of 246 ft. from north to south runs parallel with the east wall of

the oval enclosure and follows it round in its curves, but narrowing

towards its southern extremity. There is no entrance from the passage

to the oval enclosure except at the south end. At the north end the

passage is 47 ft. wide, and the formation rock forms the floor; at

40 ft. further south the passage is 36 ft. wide; at 80 ft. from the

north end 22 ft. wide; at 160 ft., 19 ft. wide; at 190 ft., 13 ft.

wide, which width is maintained as far as the southern extremity. The

heights of the outer wall vary from 5 ft. to 7 ft., the best-preserved

lengths being near the southern end, where a pair of traverses with

rounded ends stand at a few feet north of the south entrance to the

passage. This entrance has rounded sides.

A passage crosses from east to west at the southern extremity, and in

it are three entrances with rounded sides. Opposite the south face

of the southern extremity of the passage, and at 6 ft. distance is

an independent screen wall, 16 ft. long and 5 ft. high, covering the

approach to the entrance from the south. At several points in the

parallel passage there are distinct traces of traverses.

The new path from _Havilah Camp_ to the _Elliptical Temple_ now runs

through the parallel passage of these ruins.

CAMP RUINS NO. 1.

Camp Ruins Nos. 1 and 2 lie north and south respectively of the

Shangani Grave, which separates them, the huts of the camp being built

on the north and wrest sides and within a few feet of the remains of

Camp Ruins No. 1, which is Sir John Willoughby’s No. 3 Ruins in his

_Further Excavations at Zimbabye_, 1892.

Sir John describes this ruin as follows:—

“Previous to my arrival, the only trace of ruins here was one

small stone buttress on the eastern side. My original intention

was to find any wall foundations that might exist, and then to

cross-cut right through the mound at their level from east to

west, and from north to south. But I was deterred from carrying

this out, because as the work proceeded, traces of cement

floors at different levels were discovered. By starting low

down the mound, I came upon a wall, varying in height from 4

ft. to 6 ft., which encircled it. The original height of this

wall can only be estimated by comparing the existing structure

with the fallen débris which was buried by an accumulation of

soil. At the foot of this wall, and on the outside, I found

many specimens of arrow-heads, Kafir pottery, bracelets, and

necklaces of iron and copper. I also found something which may

perhaps prove to be an object of special interest. This was a

piece of copper about 6 in. in length and a quarter of an inch

thick, covered with a green substance (whether enamel, paint,

or lacquer, I am unable to determine), and inlaid with one of

the triangular Zimbabwe designs. It was buried 5 ft. below

the surface, almost in contact with the east side of the wall

itself.

[Illustration: CAMP RUINS N^o. 1.

—Zimbabwe—]

“I also discovered a small cave under a big rock that

culminates in the highest point of the mound, but the only

object of interest here found, besides bits of coarse pottery,

was a piece of crystal or glass. On driving into the mound

through a somewhat broken entrance in the inside wall of the

west side, I was much puzzled by striking a level cement floor

some 4 ft. above the wall foundations, and on following this

level I came upon a second floor about 2 ft. above the first.

It would therefore seem that originally there were a series of

cement terraces, one above the other, culminating in a point

of observation on the south side on the summit of a large

rock, or that different occupants at varying dates had made

new floors. It was near this rock that I came upon one of the

few pieces of masonry inside the other wall, and that only

very fragmentary in character. In following the outside wall

on its inner face, I found it varied in width between 2 ft. 6

in. and 4 ft., and that its foundations also varied much in

depth. In the cutting thus made I came upon three small furnace

holes close together on a level with the top of the wall as it

now stands, the foundations of which increased in depth as I

proceeded, and disclosed here and there what appeared to be an

extensive layer of ashes with the bones and teeth of animals. A

notable peculiarity in this mound is the variety of stratified

soil with folding concave towards the centre. The surface soil

is more or less black; then comes a bright red clay divided by

a broad yellow streak, and below this a dash of yellow, with

here and there a vein of decomposed sandstone or other rocky

substance. During this excavation I was not very successful in

finds, which were only represented by three pieces of sea-green

china, one of which was lying in the solid red clay below the

surface, and 8 ft. to 10 ft. into the side of the mound, and

two dull green porcelain beads, found 7 ft. deep and near its

centre. Taking into consideration the ash beds and furnace

holes already referred to, I feel justified in suggesting that

once a workshop was here the scene of useful activity, and

at that time surrounded by an irregular wall for protective

purposes, with a point of outlook to guard against surprise,

such as the big rock with the summit would represent.”

As the author resided actually within Camp Ruins for fully two years

(1902–4), very frequent opportunities of thoroughly examining the walls

have presented themselves, the result being that it is now ascertained

that these ruins as seen to-day can be shown to be not ancient but of

a some very old Makalanga period. The furnace holes alluded to have

been used for iron-smelting, and to the depth of 11 ft. no single

article approaching an antique or even mediæval character has been

found within or near its walls. The brass wire bangles found at depth

still have their grass, hair, or fibre intact. Garden hoes, assegai

heads, and coarse pottery of ordinary Kafir make are here found in

abundance. The green pottery beads are found in almost every ruin at

Zimbabwe, and never at lower depth than the yellow soil which lies

immediately under the black vegetable mould on the floors of all the

ruins. Certainly, the present natives do not know this class of beads.

That this building, as suggested by Sir John Willoughby, was once a

workshop is obvious from the quantities of iron slag and ashes and

burnt clay floors and iron furnaces found in the vicinity. The bones

of animals are mainly those of buck of all kinds. The construction of

the walls precludes any suggestion that they could have been standing

very many centuries, certainly not extending back to any period which

could, even by long inference, be considered “ancient.” The workmanship

is decidedly poorer than that shown in modern Kafir buildings in the

district.

But while this ruin, as seen to-day, may not itself be ancient, there

is some evidence that the ancients must have fortified this knoll;

and when we consider its strategetic position on the granite ridge,

extending from the south-west foot of the Acropolis Hill and the

Elliptical Temple, it becomes highly probable that later people have

utilised the material of some older buildings once occupying this

position in the erection of their poorer structures. Foundations of

walls surround the knoll at distances of some fifty and one hundred

yards from these ruins, and these show a fair claim to be recognised as

ancient, or, at any rate, as older than the walls on the summit. The

“cement” mentioned by Sir John is common soil _daga_ (clay), similar to

that found in old Makalanga huts and floors.

The ruin crowning the knoll is roughly circular, with a diameter of

about 100 ft., with walls varying in height from 4 ft. to 6 ft. The

accompanying plan, with explanatory notes, kindly lent to the author

by Sir John Willoughby, shows the character of this ruin. The “finds”

made here in 1902–3 are identical with those discovered by Sir John

Willoughby.

CAMP RUIN No. 2

This ruin lies 50 ft. south of Camp Ruins No. 1, and is on the same

knoll, the two being separated from each other by the Shangani

graveyard.

[Illustration: CAMP RUINS N^o. 2

—Zimbabwe—]

Sir John Willoughby writes:—

“I carefully attacked Ruin No. 2, but with a disappointing result. It

merely appears to be an enclosure formed by an irregular outside wall,

varying in thickness and in the depth of its foundations. In tracing

this wall, the bed-rock was occasionally exposed at a depth of 3 ft.

The only ‘finds’ here were two small pieces of sea-green china, one

small piece of white china, a few Kafir arrow-heads, whorls of poor

make, two fragments of pottery having a kind of basket design, and a

copper or brass clasp or fastening, which probably formed part of a box

of modern date.”

This ruin has recently been re-examined with similarly disappointing

result, and the remarks made with regard to No. 1 Ruin apply equally

to this ruin. Clay foundations and floors of old Kafir huts fill the

interior at different levels. Probably in the most ancient period, long

before the present structures were erected, one large ruin occupied the

site of both Nos. 1 and 2 Ruins, and encircled and crowned the knoll,

for judging from very old foundations, walls surrounded the knoll. At

least there were two such walls, one being within and higher than the

other.

CHAPTER XXI

RUINS NEAR ZIMBABWE

East Ruins—Other Ruins within the Zimbabwe Ruins’ Area.

EAST RUINS

These ruins lie 20 yds. to the south of the Motelekwe Road at 550 yds.

east of Havilah Camp, and face the east end of the Acropolis Hill at a

distance of 300 yds. south.

They occupy a rise overlooking the Valley of Ruins, and are built

upon an open granite glacis which originally formed its floor. Their

elevated and strategetic position at once claim the attention of

visitors. These ruins have always been written and spoken of as being

a fort for the defence of the east side of the Valley of Ruins, and,

in fact, for all the ruins of the lower Zimbabwe group, including the

Elliptical Temple, and especially for the eastern end of the South-East

Ancient Ascent to the Acropolis. Judging from the contour of the

country round about, the only possible line the ancient road from the

east and the coast could have taken must have passed within a few yards

of this ruin.

The view from East Ruins towards the east is most extensive and

picturesque, for the land slopes on that side for over two miles

towards the Beroma Range and the valley of the Motelekwe, while in the

hollow are the Chipo-popo and Mapudzi rivers. Opposite are the peculiar

and romantic columns of granite near Chenga’s kraal.

For the purposes of defence these ruins are ideally situated. On the

south side they are protected by a steep declivity of some 40 ft. into

the valley, and down this the original builders and later occupiers

have shot their débris in great quantities. The space between the ruin

and the declivity, some 25 yds. in width and 100 ft. in length, is

covered with short lengths of walls and wall débris.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan

EAST RUINS Motelekwe Road Great Zimbabwe

_Single figures are heights of walls in feet._]

The area covered by these ruins is 140 ft. from north to south, and 93

ft. from east to west. It is most probable that on the south and east

sides there were other enclosures.

The walls on the north, west, and south are fairly well built and

massive, and are still some 8 ft. to 10 ft. in height, and average 3

ft. 6 in. to 4 ft. width of summit at those heights. The walls on the

south-east and east average a height of from 4 ft. to 7 ft., while the

divisional walls which remain have a reduced height of 4 ft. and 5 ft.,

and these latter are also substantially constructed.

There are four well-defined enclosures, the two on the west side being

the most perfect. The northern enclosure had once been subdivided into

at least six separate compartments.

Both in plan and construction these ruins excel most of the minor

ruins, including No. 1 Ruins, and many walls on the Acropolis. The

curved lines of the walls on the northern and southern sides are bold

and striking, and well and exactly carried out. Their solidity is very

noticeable, especially on both outer and inner faces. Not only are the

courses in these walls fairly even, but the blocks are well-sized and

are of a good quality of granite. In some portions of the walls the

workmanship is of an inferior character.

But, whatever the style of construction may be, the faces of the walls

are beautifully even from base to summit and also lengthways, for

placing one’s eye close up against the wall and glancing along an area

of wall-face, there is hardly to be seen half an inch of front of block

protruding in front of its neighbours. This, of course, does not apply

to the batter-back, which is only that of an average wall at Zimbabwe.

The impression gained on viewing these massive walls, which occupy such

an excellently strategetic position, is that the original builders

intended the building to be used for some important purpose.

The northern enclosure is 60 ft. from north to south, and 67 ft.

from east to west. The south-west enclosure is 61 ft. from north to

south, and 51 ft. from east to west. The eastern enclosure is 55 ft.

from north to south, and 22 ft. from east to west. The south-eastern

enclosure, which is rather rudely constructed, and the walls of which

are very considerably dilapidated, is 20 ft. from north to south, and

80 ft. from east to west.

There are three entrances through the outer walls, and these are on the

west, south, and east, and all are rounded; two have buttresses, one

has portcullis grooves, and the foundation forms the passage floor in

each case. Two divisional entrances now only remain, and these are also

rounded.

Immediately inside the west entrance and on the north side is what

appears to have been a raised platform, facing west, about 4 ft. above

the original floor. This may have an area of 15 ft. from north to

south by 12 ft. from east to west, but the artificial filling-in of

the ruin with soil has raised the interior surface to the level of

this platform. Probably, as at other ruins at Zimbabwe with identical

platforms in corresponding positions, this afforded a look-out

overlooking the entrance. On the eastern side of these ruins there is a

similar but smaller structure which may have answered the same purpose.

In the eastern enclosure and on the east face of the west wall is a

recess starting upwards from the ground. This is 3 ft. high, 1 ft. 10

in. wide, and the blocks on each side respectively are flush-edged with

each other. The recess goes back about the length of two blocks (see

_Architecture_—_Blind Recesses_).

These ruins have been artificially filled in with soil to a depth of 3

ft. to 5 ft. by native occupiers of a comparatively late date, for the

soil on the surface and downwards to the bottom of the filling-in is

thick with old native pottery and the broken-up remains of Kafir huts.

Although almost every relic-hunter seems to have paid attention

to these ruins, nothing of any antique value has been found here.

Probably when the original occupiers left the granite floors were

still exposed, and any objects found there may have been removed long

before the filling-in took place. So far, there is no evidence that any

industry—whether of ancient, mediæval, or modern occupiers—has ever

been carried on in this building.

OTHER RUINS WITHIN THE ZIMBABWE RUINS’ AREA

_Bentberg (Matusu)._—This kopje, which is 240 ft. above the threshold

of the West Entrance to the Elliptical Temple, lies immediately south

and south-west of the temple. Only 200 yds. separate the building from

the foot of the hill. Here are many signs of very old occupations in

the form of ruined terrace walls apparently of the Zimbabwe style, but

of a very late period. The local Makalanga state that though their

predecessors of the same race have had kraals on this hill, the terrace

walls are not of any Makalanga construction; and this appears to be

obvious. Further, though Makalanga pottery is abundant, yet there

can be found both pottery and cement of a very superior quality and

make; and such are repudiated by the natives as having been made by

Amangwa, Makalanga, or Barotse. Great quantities of quartz broken into

very small splinters are to be found in large areas on the hill. The

nearest quartz reefs are six miles west of Zimbabwe. The older remains

of terraces—many buried in silted soil—are to be found on the north

side of the hill, but traces of walls can be met with extending almost

to the summit and round the western flank. It is impossible to imagine

that the ancients did not in some manner occupy the hill, as otherwise

the Elliptical Temple would have been exposed on its south side without

any defences. The old Barotse had a kraal at the foot of the north side

of the hill just above the spot where are still the traces of Bent’s

camp.

_Rusivanga Kopje._—This hill (190 ft.) rises from the Zimbabwe Valley

at some 300 yds. west of Havilah Camp. It is directly on the right of

the road from Victoria to Zimbabwe at about a third of a mile from

the main ruins, the road passing between it and Makuma Kopje on which

is Mogabe’s kraal. The northern and eastern faces of this hill show

in places from base to summit abundant evidence of occupations by

ancients and also by very old Makalanga and Barotse. The remains of

walls are in most instances of inferior construction, though at some

points the courses of excellently built wall can be traced. There are

also rudely built ramparts and enclosure walls of some later period. On

the summit of the hill was once a fort. Fragments of soapstone, slate,

quartz, and ironstone are to be found, also large stone-crushers, some

excellent pottery, and cement work of superior quality. At one point

is a cement wall carried across the top of a boulder. There are stone

foundations of Makalanga huts which are circular and lined with cement,

and winnowing floors with raised edges. On the eastern side of the

hill two sets of _isafuba_ game-holes have been cut into the surface

of the granite rock. Each of these has thirty-six holes. On the west

side and near the summit there are at least thirty different sets of

game-holes cut into the granite, the holes of the sets varying in size.

On the open granite areas on the hill are several places where deep

depressions have been worn into the rock, evidently by the sharpening

of tools or by grinding stones.

_Ruin on Bingura’s Path._—This is located on the left-hand side of the

path leading to Bingura’s kraal at about half a mile from the camp.

Only its south-east wall is now standing, but its outlines can be

traced by piles of blocks on all other sides. The area covered is about

half an acre. The wall is well and substantially built, and is still 6

ft. high. This appears to be of very old construction. There have been

no important “finds” made here, the ruin not having yet been examined.

It occupies a strategetic position on slightly raised ground in the

valley between the Bentberg and Rusivanga.

RUIN NEAR CHENGA’S KRAAL

This is situated one mile and a quarter east of Havilah Camp, and is

the most easterly ruin of the Zimbabwe group. It stands upon a low

ledge on the west side of the Beroma Range, and is a quarter of a mile

west of Chenga’s kraal, and directly overlooks the Mapudzi stream,

which flows at about 60 ft. immediately below the west face of the

ruin. The position is strategetic and affords a view over several

valleys. The area covered by walls and stone débris is fully an acre

and a half, but the actual walls now standing in any recognisable form

of plan only cover 100 ft. by 80 ft.

A cluster of large boulders has been utilised, and over these and

between them the walls have been erected, the interior being filled

up with earth almost up to the summits of the walls by some later

occupiers. On clearing this foreign soil from the interior faces

of the walls, two buried entrances, both rounded, were discovered,

and it was then possible to prepare a plan of such of the walls as

were so cleared. Nothing of any antique value was found during these

operations, all the “finds,” which were not numerous, being of old

native articles.

All the walls are curved, and all buttresses, entrances, and ends of

walls are rounded, and have a distinct batter-back. The granite blocks

in some portions of the walls are as regular in size and shape as those

to be seen in the Elliptical Temple, but the construction is not of

the best. The outer faces of the walls have been first raised, and the

internal portions afterwards filled in with stones of all sizes and

shapes, but larger than those seen in the filling-in of the interiors

of many of the walls at Khami Ruins. The courses at some points are

very regular, but at others there has been no attempt at making any

courses. The column style of building adopted by old Makalanga and

Barotse is present in parts. The walls average about 4 ft. in width at

base and 3 ft. on present reduced summit. There is no mural decorative

work introduced.

[Illustration: Sketch Plan

RUIN near CHENGA’S KRAAL

(Zimbabwe)]

The natives state that this ruin was not built by the same people that

built the rough walls of the minor ruins at Zimbabwe, their theory

being that it was erected by Barotse very many generations ago, and

on this point they are very emphatic. The translations of the native

expressions for relics are “pretty stone” and “money.” In starting work

here, the labourers, who receive small rewards for discovering relics,

grumbled considerably, and informed the author that it was useless to

work there, as no “pretty stones” or “money” would be found there.

Similar remarks were made about other small ruins, and in every case

they have been proved to be correct. Whether this ruin has actually any

claim to antiquity is a matter which, at present, it would be unsafe to

dogmatise upon.

CHENGA’S AND MADAVID PATH RUINS

These ruins are in a valley which runs north and south on the Beroma

Range at one mile distance south-east of Chenga’s kraal, and lie a few

yards to the west of the native path leading from Chenga’s to Madavid’s

kraal. Madavid is the native name for David, a Basuto, who lives near.

The area covered is fully a third of an acre on the summit of a knoll,

which rises some 30 ft. above the valley. Traces of walls covering an

area of an acre and a half are to be seen on the south, west, and north

sides. Large granite boulders have been utilised in the construction,

the walls being carried in curved lines from boulder to boulder,

enclosing a rudely drawn circular area 51 ft. from east to west, and

42 ft. from north to south. In one instance the wall is carried over a

boulder.

The faces of the walls show good workmanship, the courses being fairly

even, the joints uniformly distributed, and the blocks regular in size.

The bases of the walls average from 4 ft. to 5 ft. in width, while the

very reduced summits are 3 ft. 6 in. wide at 5 ft. from the ground. The

walls display a carefulness in construction which is absent from some

of the divisional walls of the main ruins at Zimbabwe. The side walls

of the entrance on the east side of the building are most perfectly

rounded. There is no mural decoration. The interior of the building is

of earth, which contains Kafir pottery, etc. No exploration work has

been done here.

MAPAKU, OR “LITTLE ZIMBABWE” RUINS

These ruins are situated at a distance of seven miles south-east of

Zimbabwe, and occupy a position overlooking the Motelekwe Valley,

and are on the eastern side of the lower shoulders of the southern

extremity of the Beroma Range. On the south side of the ruins the

ground falls in the direction of the Motelekwe River, which here flows

south to south-west of the ruins at the distance of about a mile. The

Mapaku kraal is a quarter of a mile north-west of the ruins. At the

village are some caves (_I-Baku_, cave; _Mapaku_, caves). The headman

is a Molinye, younger brother to the Mogabe Handisibishe of Zimbabwe.

Good water can be obtained from several places in the vicinity of the

ruins.

[Illustration: MAPAKU RUINS or “Little Zimbabwe”]

The area covered by these ruins, excepting traces of outlying walls,

is 70 ft. from north to south, and 80 ft. from east to west. Though

the ruins are small in area, yet they have a considerable importance,

seeing that they form one of the ruins of the chain of such structures

which stretches at certain intervals from Zimbabwe along the Motelekwe

River, which chain again connects with the chain of a similar class

of ruins running from the lower Sabi in Portuguese territory in the

direction of Sofala. The chains of ruins appear to point out the

ancient approach from the coast to the metropolitan centre at Zimbabwe

and the gold districts of Southern Mashonaland and Matabeleland.

The thickness and height of the walls are the first features which

will strike anyone on entering the building, especially when the small

size of the centre ruins are taken into consideration. The walls are

all built on curved lines, and average a width of 4 to 5 ft. at the

base, and 3 ft. at present reduced summits at 8 ft. above the ground.

All the walls are built upon the granite rock formation, and there is

comparatively very little soil on the floors, and most of this is black

vegetable mould. Fortunately these ruins have not been subjected to the

filling-in operations of the very old Kafir peoples as have so very

many ancient ruins in Rhodesia. The absence of sufficient soil for the

growth of large trees has no doubt saved the walls from more serious

dilapidation. The walls are white with lichen, this being a feature in

all the ruins along the Motelekwe Valley, which, seen from Zimbabwe, is

usually filled with mist-fogs.

The main entrance evidently is the one on the south-west side of the

building, for here is a long narrow passage leading from the interior,

the passage running parallel to the south main wall forming an easily

defended approach. The ruins have only two entrances—the main entrance

and an angular entrance on the north side without portcullis grooves.

This latter entrance leads into an outer enclosure only, and is

protected on the inside by what may be described as a “sentry-box.”

This is a curved wall 7 ft. long and 5 ft. high, enclosing a small area

large enough to hold two or three men, and its entrance opens on to the

inside of the entrance in the main wall. There are several of these

“sentry-boxes” at Zimbabwe occupying exactly similar positions near

entrances.

The interior of the building contains at least four enclosures and two

long passages, and these may be described as follows:—

No. 1 Enclosure, which is on the north-east side of the ruins, is

22 ft. from east to west, and 13 ft. 6 in. from north to south. The

floor is formation rock covered over (1903) with a few inches’ depth of

vegetable mould. The main wall, which forms its north and east sides,

is 6 ft. high throughout, the wall on the west is 8 ft. high, and the

curved walls which divide this enclosure from No. 2 Enclosure average

6 ft. and 7 ft. in height, except at the entrance to No. 2 Enclosure,

where the height on either side is reduced to 5 ft.