NO. 8
THE SACRED ENCLOSURE

THIS enclosure, which contains the Conical Tower and the now ruined “Little Cone,” lies on the south-east of the temple area, the main east wall from south-east to east-north-east being its eastern boundary from (186 ft.) to (315 ft).

In shape it is long and narrow, the Conical Tower practically dividing the area into two almost equal sections: Sacred Enclosure (east), and Sacred Enclosure (west).

The length of this enclosure measured along the inside face of the main wall is 129 ft. 2 in. The northern side is formed by sections of walls which in the main run parallel with the south wall of the temple. The northern sections of walls are at the following distances from the main wall: at the extreme west 25 ft.; at (186 ft.) 31 ft.; on either side of the Conical Tower 26 ft.; at (300 ft.) 17 ft.; and at the extreme east 5 ft, this last portion for 13 ft. being greatly narrowed by large buttresses on either side up to the entrance of the Parallel Passage.

The northern wall sections commencing at the west end are as follows:—

A wall 28 ft. long forming the south wall of No. 11 Enclosure. The first section of 20 ft. is indifferently built, but the last 8 ft. well constructed. The joint between the two classes of walls is obvious, and the inferior wall is considerably dilapidated at its western end, especially at the western entrance. The highest portion is 9 ft. 6 in. above the present surface of the interior.

The second section is the south wall of The Platform, which rounds on a length of 24 ft. into Sacred Enclosure (west) for 7 ft., and recedes again directly north of the Conical Tower. This rounded wall is exceedingly well built. Its summit is practically level, and its height is 11 ft. to 14 ft., according to the rise and fall of the floor or steps of the enclosure.

The third section is a wall 48 ft. long, extending from north of the Conical Tower to the entrance of the Parallel Passage. From the south side of this wall, and just inside the north entrance, is a wall 13 ft. high, 5 ft. wide, narrowing as the Conical Tower is approached, projecting towards the north-east side of the Conical Tower. The last 27 ft. of this third section is evidently of a later period construction. The joint of the older and later walls is very clearly defined, and there is a depression on the summit at this point. The height of the wall varies from 14 ft. to 16 ft.

The Sacred Enclosure has four entrances—south-west, west, north, and east.

The south-west entrance is from No. 6 Enclosure. This has rounded walls and portcullis grooves, and is 5 ft. high on either side, 2 ft. wide, and runs through a wall 4 ft. 10 in. thick. On the inside of this entrance are the remains of steps which relic prospectors have destroyed. The floor of the entrance is 4 ft. above the floor of the enclosure.

The western entrance, which leads from No. 9 Enclosure, is also rounded, and had portcullis grooves, and its floor was once paved with cement. This entrance is in a very dilapidated condition, owing to trees and creepers.

The north or main entrance to this enclosure is rounded on either side, and has portcullis grooves. It is 2 ft. 10 in. wide, and is directly north of the Conical Tower, between which and this entrance the floor is substantially paved with cement, and has cement steps leading down into the enclosure on the west side of the Conical Tower.

The east entrance leads from the Parallel Passage, and measurements of it are given in the description of that passage.

The buttresses on either side of the inner side of the eastern entrance have not the appearance of being ancient, unless they had once collapsed and been roughly rebuilt at a much later period.

The eastern section of this enclosure has been cleared of dÉbris down to the level of a yellow granite cement floor. In several places this flooring has been destroyed by roots of both past and present trees of great size. This section appears to have had to absorb all rainfall from the south-east area of the temple, as this enclosure is at a much lower level than the adjoining enclosures, and this may account for the decomposition at some points of the cement floor. The clearing to the cement floor has also been carried round the base of the Conical Tower, which now stands upon an almost level floor. The spot where Bent sank the hole through the cement can plainly be seen on the south side of the tower. The clearing also disclosed a granite cement step at the north entrance with a level cement floor on the inner side between it and the north side of the tower. This floor is 2 ft. above the cement floor round the base of the tower, from which raised floor two granite steps between the tower and The Platform lead down to the floor of the western section of the enclosure.

In the western section the floor along the base of the main wall is buried in dÉbris to a depth of 1 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft. From the base of the northern wall of this section to the centre of the area is a cemented floor laid on a pavement of blocks, but in some places the cement has become decomposed. In the west corner of this section of the enclosure is a floor raised 3 ft. above the cement floor, but this is very roughly built, and appears to have been a filling-in by some late occupiers of the temple. On the east side of this raised floor, and acting as its retaining wall on that side, are the remains of a wall 4 ft. high and 4 ft. wide projecting from the reconstructed portion of the north wall, and most probably of even a later date than the obviously reconstructed wall, seeing that it is built up against it.

In the angle formed by the 28-ft. section of the north wall of the western area and the wall of The Platform is a set of “blind steps,” two in number, and with a platform 8 ft. by 6 ft. square, the steps and the platform being covered with granite cement (see Architecture—Blind Steps).

Small portions of granite cement are to be found in the joints of the blocks of the main wall up to a height of 7 ft., and also to a similar height on the north wall of the eastern section of this enclosure, while in the angle of this latter wall and the buttress built up against it are the remains of a granite cement dado (see Architecture—Cement Dadoes).

THE CONICAL TOWER[52]

This celebrated tower, which forms one of the chief architectural features of the Zimbabwe ruins, stands in the centre of the Sacred Enclosure, dividing it into two areas. The south-east of the tower is 3 ft. 10 in. from the main wall of the temple (at 255 ft.) from the south side of the west entrance. It is 31 ft. high on its south-east face; 30 ft. on the south-west side; 26 ft. 6 in. on its north-east side; and 29 ft. on the north-west side. These measurements are taken from the actual foundation, which is only a few inches below the granite cement flooring surrounding its base on all sides but the north. The average height of the reduced summit of the tower in 1894 was 32 ft., and it was then far more level than as seen to-day. Bent believed the original height to have been 35 ft., at which point he thought it once had a level top, 4 ft in diameter. Photographs taken in 1891 give a very good impression of what the tower was like previous to the dilapidation, which took place immediately after that time.

It is difficult to state the exact circumference of the base throughout the extent of the foundations, as a granite cement raised floor, with steps, is constructed up against the base of the north side, but it may be taken to be about 57 ft. 6 in. The measurements of the circumference of the tower at different heights are as follows: at 5 ft. above floor 53 ft. 8 in.; at 10 ft., 50 ft. 4 in.; at 15 ft., 46 ft. 1 in.; at 20 ft., 39 ft.; at 25 ft., 32 ft.; at 27 ft. 6 in. (where the broken portion of the summit commences), 30 ft. 2 in. The average battering back of the tower, so far as the broken edges of the present summit will permit of approximately correct measurements being taken, is, at the following heights, as follows: at 10 ft. above floor 1 ft. 7 in.; at 15 ft., 1 ft. 10 in.; at 20 ft., 2 ft. 6 in.; at 25 ft., 4 ft. 2 in.; and at 27 ft., 5 ft. 5 in.

The battering is far more regular on the west and south sides, where it is also a few inches less severe. To secure the inclining back of the sides of the cone, the blocks from front to back on its circumference are laid on the flat on a dead level, and yet so slightly do the blocks of one course lie back beyond the edge of the faces of the blocks of the course below that, except at one or two points, it is almost impossible to notice where the batter takes place. Even the blocks in the bulge on the north side have been ascertained to be still perfectly level.

There is a slight bulging on the east and north-east sides at 10 ft. to 15 ft. above the floor, and this somewhat reduces the extent of battering-back on those sides at that height. This bulging creates an optical delusion, for visitors almost always declare that the tower has tilted slightly to the north-east. But this tilting has now been proved not to exist. There are many causes which may have brought about the bulging. A large branch of hard-wood tree, the trunk of which is believed to have been over one hundred years old, had for years, even in light breezes, scraped up and down this side of the tower, and also it was on this side that most of the monkey rope, creepers, and bushes were growing out of the crevices of the tower from base to summit.

The foundations are exceedingly shallow, being only some 10 in. to 18 in. below the granite cement flooring. The foundation of the main wall near this point is only 10 in. below the same flooring. The lowest course of blocks of the tower is of the average size of the blocks used in the face of the structure. These rest on what was originally granite cement, but which, with the dripping of storm water for centuries down the large area of the face of the tower, has now become mere yellow sand. This, however, remains very firm, and still makes a good foundation. The foundations have not at any point sunk below their original level, but there are evidences that its enormous weight has caused the tower to settle firmly on to its bed.

The present reduced summit of the tower, where it is intact, slants down from the west and south and south-east edges some 4 ft. towards the north-east, but the block dÉbris on the summit only slants for 2 ft. in the same direction. In the centre of the summit is a hole sunk down into the top of the tower some 4 ft. It will be remembered that Dr. Karl Mauch (1871) admitted having made this hole for the purpose of ascertaining whether the tower was solid. The hole was once much deeper, but debris has filled it up to 4 ft. from the summit. Mauch also made a second hole in the west face of the tower at 5 ft. from the floor. This also showed the tower to be solid. Theodore Bent (1891) also made a hole for a similar purpose. This is on the south face, and extends from the foundation to 4 ft. above the flooring, and he pronounced the tower to be perfectly solid. A certain Rhodesian, bent, as he confessed, on finding “The Treasure Chamber”(!), made another hole on the east side, at 5 ft. from the ground, and with the same result, but this hole is so neatly built up afresh that it can only just be located. The hole made by Mauch remained unbuilt up until 1902, and several courses above it have consequently sagged. In 1902 a thin wire rod inserted in this last hole and passed through joints of internal dry masonry for 8 ft. towards the centre showed the tower to be solid.

The dentelle pattern, which Mauch stated ran round the eastern portion of the summit of the tower, is now represented by only ten blocks. These form three sets of double courses of the dentelle pattern, as on the summit of the eastern face of the Eastern Temple on the hill, and two blocks of a lower course more to the east, and two loose dentelle blocks lying on the summit of the tower. One extremity of the pattern was undoubtedly, as can be seen on close inspection, facing the south-east, but it extended some little distance round towards the east, but how far it is now quite impossible to ascertain. Mauch owned to having destroyed a portion of the pattern in making the hole on the summit.

The pattern was formed by two rows of wedge-shaped blocks placed to project 2 in. beyond the face of the wall, while above them, just as in the dentelle patterns elsewhere, were placed heavy blocks and throughs or ties, as if to bind effectively the stones forming the patterns, as the introduction of a decorative pattern in ancient walls anywhere in Rhodesia can be seen to have proved a point of weakness in the durability of the faces of the walls. The summit of the tower has been greatly dilapidated by small trees and bushes growing on the top, the stumps and roots of which can still be seen.

The best idea of the symmetry and accuracy of the contour of the tower can be obtained by standing on the summit of the main wall, near the top of the visitors’ ladder.

THE SMALL TOWER

The base of this stands in Sacred Enclosure (east), at 5 ft. 2 in. north-east of the large tower. Its circumference at the cement floor is 21 ft. 7 in. At 4 ft. above the floor it has a circumference of 19 ft. 10 in., the dilapidation not being so serious as to prevent this measurement being taken. The present reduced height is as follows: west side, 3 ft. 2 in.; south side, 4 ft. 6 in.; east side, 6 ft. 6 in.; and north side, 5 ft. 3 in.

Unfortunately this tower, which Bent proved to have been solid, has, within the last few years, been subject to serious dilapidation. Photographs taken in 1894 are now but a record of the appearance of this tower at that time, for now, on comparing the photographs with the tower, they have become obsolete. A large branch of the tall hard-wood tree, which stands 3 ft. from the east side of this tower, had thrown over the summit on to the floor on the west side, and in 1902 nothing of the tower was left save the outer face of the wall, the internal blocks having been taken out by some unauthorised relic prospectors. These were replaced, and all the blocks which belong to the tower preserved.

Bent (p. 115) states:—

“The religious purport of these towers would seem to be conclusively proved by the numerous finds we made in other parts of the ruins of a phallic nature, and I think a quotation from Montfaucon’s L’AntiquitÉ ExpliquÉe will give us the keynote of the worship: ‘The ancients assure us that all the Arabians worshipped a tower, which they called El Acara, or Alquetila, which was built by their patriarch, Ismael,’ ‘Maximus of Tyre says they honoured as a great god a great cut-stone. This is apparently the same stone resembling Venus, according to Euthymius Zygabenus. When the Saracens were converted to Christianity they were obliged to anathematise this stone, which formerly they worshipped.’ This tower (at Zimbabwe) doubtless corresponded to the sacred tower of the Midianites, called Penuel, or the ‘Face of God,’ which Gideon destroyed (Judges viii. 7). Allusions to these towers are constant in the Bible, and the Arabian historian, El Masoudi (940 a.d.), further tells us that this stone or tower was eight cubits high, and was placed in an angle of the temple, which had no roof. Turning to Phoenician temple construction, we have a good parallel to the ruins of the Great Zimbabwe at Byblos (in Phoenicia), as depicted on the coins; the tower, or sacred cone, is set up within the temple precincts, and shut off in an enclosure. Similar work is also found in the round temples of the Cabiri, at Hadjar Kem, in Malta, and the construction of these buildings bears a remarkable resemblance to that of those at Zimbabwe, and the round towers, or nuraghs, found in Sardinia may possibly be of similar significance. MM. Perrot and Chapiez, in their History of Art in Sardinia, speak of these nuraghs as forts or temples, around which the primitive inhabitants of the island once lived. They are truncated cones, built with stone blocks of different sizes, narrowing at the top. The stones are unhewn as a rule, and laid on without mortar. Here, too, we have a parallel for our monoliths, mention of unhewn stone, and also for the phalli, specimens of which are to be found carved on stone, and here, too, the intricate plan of the fortresses suggests at once a parallel to those at Zimbabwe; hence it would appear that the same influence was at work in Sardinia as in South Africa. In Lucian’s De Syria Dea we find a description of a temple at Hierapolis, in Mesopotamia, in the propylÆa of which, he tells us (p. 16), ‘there stood two very large phalli, about thirty cubits high.’ Our tower at Zimbabwe stood apparently twenty cubits high, and ten in diameter. He further says (p. 29), ‘these phalli are solid, for when a priest had to ascend he had to put a rope round himself and walk up.’”

Dr. Schlichter, 1898, remarks:—

“We have in the Great Zimbabwe an enormous gnomon (dial calculating point) before us, comprising a total angle of 120°. Taking all the details into account, I found that the obliquity of the ecliptic was somewhat more than 23° 52´, which brings us (considering that we have a good Chinese observation of the same period) to a time somewhat 1100 b.c. for the erection of the Zimbabwe ruins.”[53]

THE PARALLEL PASSAGE

This passage, which is one of the most interesting features of ancient architecture at Zimbabwe, is 220 ft. long, and extends from (329 ft.) from the West Entrance to (513 ft.) from the same point, and runs along the inside of the east and north-east of the main wall of the temple, that is, from the Sacred Enclosure to the North Entrance of the temple.

The ancient priests could by means of this long, deep, and exceedingly narrow passage reach the Sacred Enclosure from the exterior of the temple altogether unobserved, seeing that along its whole length it has no communication with any other part of the interior of the temple. It is therefore possible that this passage might have been exclusively used by the ministers of the sacred rites. In it have been found the bulk of the phalli yet discovered at Zimbabwe, and a number of both plain and decorated phalli were found here in August, 1902, when the dÉbris which had covered its floor was being removed. The same surmise might be made with regard to the purpose of the Parallel Passage at the Western Temple on the Acropolis.

The summit of the main wall on the outer side throughout the length of the passage averages from 28 ft. to 31 ft. above its present floor (see Tables of Measurements of Main Walls). The inner parallel wall varies in height, owing to dilapidations caused by past and present trees. This wall averages from 8 ft. to 16 ft. in height. The long and narrow passage between such high walls imparts a most weird and romantic aspect to this portion of the temple. The high, magnificently sweeping, and massive walls tower on either side for a considerable distance on a bold masterly curve that displays in the well-built and regular courses of the walls design and workmanship which always strongly impress the modern builder with unfeigned surprise and wonder.

At the extremity near the Sacred Enclosure the passage is 4 ft. wide, but at 30 ft. further north-east it is 3 ft. 6 in. wide, at 55 ft. it narrows to 2 ft. 6 in., which width is maintained for about 40 ft., at the end of which it widens out owing to the inner parallel wall being here built upon a comparatively straight line. At (440 ft.) it is 4 ft. 6 in. wide, at (460 ft.) 5 ft. 6 in. wide, at (480 ft.) 7 ft., and at (513 ft.), which is its northern extremity, it narrows to 2 ft. 6 in. Between (490 ft.) and (513 ft.) there is a large gap in the main wall, where its inner face has collapsed into the passage. The bottom of the gap is about 6 ft. above the present level of the passage floor.

Between (349 ft.) and (362 ft.) the inner parallel wall has collapsed into the passage, but the dÉbris has now been cleared away. Between (470 ft.) and (500 ft.) the inner wall has been reduced by falls to a height of only 6 ft. 9 in.

The north wall of the Sacred Enclosure (east) is continued for 55 ft. as the west wall of the passage. This section is obviously a reconstruction of a later date, the joints with this wall and the rest of the older and better-built wall at the south end can be seen near the small conical tower in the Sacred Enclosure, the opposite side of this joint being distinctly noticeable in No. 11 Enclosure. The joint at the north-eastern end of this reconstructed section of wall can be seen near (375 ft.), where the older wall recommences. This less excellently reconstructed wall shows a far greater amount of dilapidation than does the older portion. This circumstance is to be noticed in more than a score of other instances of reconstruction of lengths of older walls, the invariable experience in Zimbabwe architecture being that the reconstructed portions are much less lasting, although they are of later date, and these reconstructions always show a depression in their summits at the joints with the older portions of the wall.

The entrance into this passage from the Sacred Enclosure is the east entrance mentioned in the description of that enclosure, and is at (320 ft.). It is formed by rounded buttresses, 7 ft. high, on either side of the passage. The entrance is 2 ft. 6 in. wide, 9 ft. long (including the steps at either end), and has portcullis grooves of unusually large size. It is approached from the Sacred Enclosure by three large, broad, and deep block steps, which are still in a very good state of preservation, not one block being missing or even out of place. The floor is excellently paved with blocks. On the passage side of the entrance are three block steps also in a splendid condition, but these are narrower, as the rounded foundation of the west buttress projects 7 in. into the passage further than the upper portion of the buttress.

Immediately inside this entrance, and against the base of the main wall, is a raised level with rounded edges made of granite cement. This is 7 ft. long, 1 ft. 10 in. wide, and 3 in. higher than cement flooring, and 6 in. high at its north-east end above a step-down in the floor. Between this raised cement level and the west wall of the passage is a cemented floor 4 ft. 4 in. long, with a rounded face at its north-east end, this face forming the step-down just mentioned. The floor from this point northwards to (335 ft.) has been broken through by excavators, but from (335 ft.) northwards to (425 ft.) the cement flooring still remains intact. From (425 ft.) to the northern end of the passage the floor has been torn up by explorers.

Evidently the ancients were thoroughly well versed in the art of sanitation, for the lengths of cemented flooring are divided into catchment areas, separated from each other by raised step-barriers 4 in. high, 3 ft. 10 in. broad, laid across the passage. These are made of granite cement and have rounded edges. The floor has a slight fall on either side of these raised barriers, and in the lowest part of each area is a drain-hole passing through the main wall, the object evidently being to divide up the rainfall so that each drain should only have such a quantity of water as its capacity would allow it to carry off. The drain-holes passing outwards and downwards through the main walls are at (352 ft.), (391 ft. 6 in.), (442 ft.), and (471 ft.). These are believed to have once been lined with yellow granite cement. It is possible that other drains from this passage-way may yet be found.

Near (396 ft.) is a drain-hole leading into the passage from No. 14 Enclosure.

The floor at the extreme north end of the passage has not yet been uncovered, as it would be unsafe to remove any more depth of soil owing to the threatening condition of the wall at the gap before mentioned.

Near (338 ft.) is a flat granite beam 6 ft. long, which has evidently fallen from the summit of the main wall.

The Parallel Passage and Sacred Enclosure were used by old and recent generations of Makalanga as places in which to deposit their ash, pottery, iron, and bone dÉbris, and this was found in places to a height of 3 ft. and 4 ft. The bones were of animals, mostly of buck, but some of oxen, and all had been split open for the marrow, as is usually found to be the case in all Makalanga dÉbris heaps whether at any ruins or at their villages. Being sunless and damp these two places for occupation purposes appear to have been avoided by them.