South-East Ancient Ascent—Lower Parapet—Rock Passage—Upper Parapet—Western Enclosure.

ON Zimbabwe Hill, at a height of some 230 ft. to 250 ft. above the valley which runs along its west and south sides, stands the Acropolis or Hill Fortress. Its prominent and strategic position on this precipitous and practically isolated granite kopje gives it a grandly imposing appearance among the many large ruins included within the Zimbabwe Reserve.

Viewing the hill from the valley, one can well realise that Nature alone made the place impregnable, while the builders of almost four thousand years ago applied their highly developed engineering skill and ingenuity to make the stronghold even more absolutely unassailable.

The south side of the hill is defended by a precipice some 90 ft. high, running without break from the western end for over 300 yds. to the eastern side of the hill, where the precipice loses itself in gigantic boulders, each of many hundred tons weight, which, owing to their beetling form, render that side of the hill inaccessible. Great boulders form the summit of the hill, and are in a cliff-shaped line running from west to east. Several of the highest boulders appear to be most delicately poised on the edges of the shoulders of gigantic cliffs, and these rise up at least 50 ft. to 70 ft. above the highest portion of the Hill Ruins, thus making the total height of the kopje to be slightly more than 320 ft.

The bases of the southern walls are built on the outward slope of the brink of the line of steep granite cliff, the lowest row of stones being deep at their front and narrow at the back. So markedly are these wedge-shaped rows of stones laid over the brink of the precipice that at first sight one hardly notices where the wall ends and the precipice begins, especially as the blocks in the walls present in the dry season the same colourings and tints as the line of cliff itself. Below the precipice the ground has a very sharp fall of some 70 ft. into the valley.

The feelings provoked in one’s mind on visiting the Elliptical Temple and Sacred Cone, which are in the valley, are those of awe and reverence; but on inspecting the Acropolis the visitor is overcome by a sense of absolute amazement and sheer bewilderment, which are intensified at every step taken along its numerous labyrinthine passages on climbing the hill.

Above the precipice, as seen from the valley, are massive walls, on the summits of which some dozen monoliths, more or less erect, are still to be seen standing clear against the sky-line. From this point of view alone—and this but represents a small fraction of the walls of which these ruins are composed—one realises that many thousands of tons of granite blocks (those in the outer faces having been squared and dressed) have been transported up the precipitous kopje to a height of no less than 230 ft., for examination of the rocks on the hill proves that the greater quantity of stone used in the walls was not quarried on the kopje itself.

Apart from the infinite patience and painstaking toil of the ancients as displayed in their careful and correct building and complicated plan and style of architecture, this one fact of so much stone quarried and dressed elsewhere and carried up to such a height as a man could hardly climb who bore no burden, is one to amaze and perplex even the most casual and indifferent visitor. Later, on reaching the ruins it will be seen that very many thousand tons of granite blocks have been carried up the hill. This fact serves to still further accentuate the statements made by the authors on pages 60 and 65 of Ancient Ruins of Rhodesia that (1) not only did the ancients of the first period of Zimbabwe architecture realise that they were occupying a hostile country, but (2) the ancient builders had at their disposal slave labour to an enormous and incalculable extent, and this apart from the overwhelming evidences pointing to the same conclusion presented by the thousands of ancient workings spread over Southern Rhodesia, and the hundreds of massive fortresses and temples occupying a corresponding area.

These and many other obvious suggestions present themselves most forcibly at even the partial view of the Hill Fortress as seen from the valley.

The first question occurring to one ascending the hill is: Where is the ancient ascent? It is obvious that the path used by visitors could not be the ascent of the ancients, for were it not for the gaps in the walls, access to the summit by the ordinary path would be absolutely impracticable. Indeed, the ordinary path runs at several points along the reduced tops of broken walls, and crosses the foundations of some dozen outer defence walls, which are now practically demolished and barely traceable.

There are two well-defined ancient approaches to the summit of the Acropolis, one being on the south side of the hill and the other on the face fronting the west-north-west. It is believed that at least two other ancient ascents exist. The N.N.W. ascent has not been completely cleared out, though it is very well defined, and some 320 ft. of its 940 ft. length can now be traversed by the visitor, but the south-east ascent has recently been cleared out of large trees, shrubs, and many tons of wall dÉbris and silted soil, so that it is now possible for visitors to use it with ease. Mogabe, the Zimbabwe Makalanga chief, now seventy years of age, who at one time had his kraal on the northern side of the summit of Zimbabwe Hill, as well as the older of his headmen, all state they had never before seen this ancient ascent so cleared out. They say that the late Chipfuno’s people, and subsequently their own, used it as an approach to the kraal, but not generally, and this was only possible by climbing along the tops of the walls and over the large wall-dÉbris heaps that blocked up the passage-way. Certainly for at least one hundred years this ascent could not have been used, for the dÉbris piles were covered with lichens, and had every appearance of great age. The Makalanga had also purposely blocked up the passage with a substantial wall, which was erected in Chipfuno’s time. Some of the trees cleared from the passages proved by their size that they had stood there long before the Chartered Company’s advent into the country.

In fact, the ascent by this ancient approach now occupies a little more than half the time required to walk round by the circuitous path till recently used by visitors, besides affording to the climber a revelation as to the ingenuity and wonderful engineering skill of the ancients in effecting the defence of the hill. Unless this ancient approach be traversed by the visitor, one of the principal features provided by the Acropolis or Hill Ruins will have been missed.

SOUTH-EAST ANCIENT ASCENT

Leaving the huts at Havilah Camp, which occupy a low granite knoll on the north side of the Shangani Grave and overlook the narrow valley running at the south foot of the hill, one crosses the outspan and passes through the “Outspan Ruins,”[58] which face the camp at a distance of 70 yds. due north, which ruins are part of an inner line of defence wall running round the base of the hill on the west, south, and east sides, and which lie within the main outer wall sweeping round from the west side of the Elliptical Temple to the north side of Zimbabwe Hill, enclosing the large water-holes believed to have been made by the ancients. From the ascent facing the camp a newly-cut path leads in a direct line up some 70 ft. higher towards the ancient approach, but with a slight trend to the east.

Before striking the walls of the passage-way, the path crosses at right angles the foundations of some seven or eight outer defence walls and walls of terraces and buried enclosures all rising in tiers one above and at the back of the other. The soil here is black with ash dÉbris, and in cutting the rough steps in the path to the ascent, each shovelful of this black soil contained a large quantity of broken pottery and bones of animals. This dÉbris on being examined shows most evidently that it is not ancient; further, it is pronounced by local natives to have been thrown out from the ruins above by previous generations of Makalanga, but not by the mediÆval Makalanga, who, according to Portuguese records (1560 to 1750), occupied these ruins as one of the courts or chief residences of the succession of dynastic chiefs, each known as the Monomotapa or “The Lord of the Mines.” This dÉbris is believed to cover that of the mediÆval Makalanga and of the ancients, for all dÉbris would by the formation of the cliff above be guided to this part of the lower southern slope, and the heavy downfalls of very many rainy seasons would distribute it over the steep face of the southern slope, and spread it into the valley, where any quantity of such dÉbris may be found.

The path from the camp strikes the ancient ascent at 70 ft. above the valley. The length of the approach, measured in the centre of the passage in all its turnings, is 349 ft. from this point to its termination on the summit of the precipice. It extends in a westerly direction from the 70 ft. to the 210 ft. level on the hill. This passage can be traced downwards into the valley to clear of the end of the kopje for 420 yds.

The ascent is, for an ancient ruin, in a remarkably good state of preservation, except at a few points where whole lengths of walls have fallen into the narrow passage which runs between high walls. All this wall dÉbris, which effectively blocked the passage, has just recently been removed. At one point the end of a wall had collapsed bodily into the passage, and being on higher ground had filled it up to the height of the walls below, but this dÉbris has also been cleared away, so that visitors can now walk without the slightest hindrance up the ascent on practically what was the ancient flooring, and ascend the old flights of steps. To such an extent had the passage become choked up that it required some fifteen native labourers, working at different points, no less than four days to cut away sufficient growth as would enable a mere scramble to be made over the dÉbris in the passages, while the thorough clearing away of wall dÉbris occupied the whole gang for nearly a fortnight. Now that this ancient ascent has been made an easy approach, this passage to the summit of Zimbabwe Hill has become the most popular ascent.

The chief architectural features represented in the ascent are the (a) Lower Parapet, (b) the Rock Passage, and (c) the Upper Parapet, as also the flights of steps occurring in several lengths.

The point where the path from the camp strikes this ancient ascent is not its most easterly extremity nor its lowest point, for, as before stated, this passage can be traced for 420 yds. further east, where its emergence into the valley is protected by one, if not two, large fort-like ruins of some importance.

On turning into the ascent from the camp path, an outer wall on the left-hand side runs for 42 ft. 6 in., and this wall is now only about 2 ft. high. The foundations are 4 ft. wide. The upper courses of this wall are not ancient, though the foundations and lower courses undoubtedly are, for it is evident that blocks which have fallen from terrace walls overlooking the passage into the ascent have been laid neatly, probably by mediÆval Makalanga, on the tops of the wall which had already become ruined. The right-hand side of the ascent from this point, for a length of 65 ft., is formed by huge boulders. The passage throughout this length is 3 ft. 6 in. to 4 ft. wide.

(a) THE LOWER PARAPET

At the upper end of this 45 ft. length of wall, and on the left-hand side, is a natural parapet artificially improved. This is the Lower Parapet, the outer and left-hand side of which is formed by the summit of a large boulder 25 ft. long, and its highest point not more than 4 ft. 6 in. above the floor of the ascent. From this vantage ground a fine view is obtained of the hills to the south, with the Bentberg (Matusa) directly opposite, and the Elliptical Temple and the valley of Ruins below.

On the inner and right-hand side of the Lower Parapet the rock glacis is surmounted by two terrace walls, really enclosures filled in, the second being behind and higher than the first. The lower terrace wall has a frontage to the south of 24 ft., and the upper terrace wall starts at 14 ft. to the rear of the top of the lower wall. Portions of the higher wall are still intact, and judging by the line of wall dÉbris, it had a frontage to the south of some 20 ft.

Facing the passage at the west end of the Lower Parapet is a wall 3 ft. 6 in. high, running north for 12 ft. The top of this wall is 4 ft. wide, and is built upon a large granite boulder, which beetles considerably at the outer and southern extremity of this wall. The northern end of the wall is wedge-shaped, the point being well made with finely tapering sides. A similar wedged-shaped buttress is to be seen at the entrance to the Upper Parapet, and also on the south side of the east entrance in the interior of the Eastern Temple on Zimbabwe Hill.

The wall thus described acts as a division or parting of the ways, as in the case of the wedge-shaped end of the wall at the Upper Parapet, and a short passage 4 ft. wide and 12 ft. long runs along the west face of the wall to the brink of the boulder which beetles to a steep drop below.

The object of this short passage jutting out from the main ascent to the brink of the boulder’s edge is inexplicable, unless it was intended as a dÉbris shoot, for at the base of the south front of this boulder, and some 20 ft. below, is a large dÉbris pile of past and present Makalanga ashes, pottery, and bones of animals. This is contained in a loose black soil, but the dÉbris of the ancients underlying the obviously Makalanga dÉbris is contained in a light yellow soil the surface of which has become almost as hard as cement. The examination of this lower stratum of dÉbris fully confirms the suggestion that this short passage which terminates, so to speak, in space was one of the spots where the ancients shot their dÉbris.

At the north end of this short side-passage the main ascent takes a long curve for 51 ft. westwards, from south-west to north-west, and is formed on the outer side by a wall 5 ft. to 6 ft. wide on its present reduced summit and from 6 ft. to 9 ft. in height, which runs still ascending to the top end of the 51 ft. length. Here the ascent is steeper than near the Lower Parapet, and steps, and traces of steps, can be seen at several points.

The inner or cliff side of the ascent, from the Lower Parapet to the higher end of the 51 ft. wall on the opposite side, is formed by large walls 3 ft. 6 in. wide on their present summits, and averaging 5 ft. in height, but are built back on a much higher level of foundation than the outer wall of the passage. These inner walls enclose an almost square open space on the inner side of the ascent, the area being 16 ft. on the south-east, 12 ft. on the north-east, and 11 ft. on the north, the lower and south-east wall slanting down-hill towards the passage, so that the lowest corner of the area is at the point where the ascent enters the area. The enclosure is entirely thrown into the passage. This lower corner of the area is about 8 ft. north-west of the wedge-shape dividing wall just described. The arrangement of the walls and of the area, with its lowest point resting on the passage, is most patently an intentional design of the ancient military engineers, as the slanting-down wall on the south-east side would provide room within the area for a hundred defenders, while the narrow passage immediately below where the ascent enters the area could barely have held two invaders fighting abreast. But this narrow point was once much narrower, for the foundations of a projecting buttress, rounded into the lowest corner of the area, are to be seen about 2 ft. above where the south-east wall slopes down-hill to within 3 ft. of the inner face of the outer wall. The foundations of this projecting buttress are very indistinct, and probably will disappear, as, now the buttress has collapsed, visitors walk across the remaining foundation stones as a short cut. The wall dÉbris here suggests that the buttress was a high structure. The Zimbabwe Makalanga headmen, who were watching the clearing operations, informed the author that this buttress was once a high one, but this was in their early days and many years before their kraal was removed from Zimbabwe Hill.

From above the enclosed area to the end of the 51 ft. length of outer wall before mentioned the passage on the inner side is bounded by a wall which runs parallel to the outer wall in its curve from the south-west to the north-west.

From the higher end of the 51 ft. length of wall the passage turns directly west for 43 ft., where it curves to the north-east for 26 ft., averaging a width of 3 ft. 6 in., except just lower than the curve and through its continuation where it narrows to 2 ft. The heights of the outside wall run from 3 ft. to 4 ft. 6 in. before it reaches the curve. On the inner side wall of the lowest part of this length the wall is much broken, especially a length of 11 ft., which once held dentelle pattern, facing south.

The end walls or frame of this dentelle pattern are still to be seen, and many of the small blocks used in making this pattern were found in the passage-way. The blocks can always be identified by their exact similarity in size, and also on two faces they are exceedingly time-worn, if not decomposed, as they are built up in columns with one corner projecting outwards and flush with the face of the wall. This pattern has now become completely destroyed by wild vine trees growing inside the wall and forcing out its outer face on to the passage floor. This damage must have been done within the last ten years.

This was one of the finest examples of dentelle pattern so far discovered in Rhodesia, and had it not been destroyed would have been by far the largest pattern of all the five instances. Dentelle pattern is one of the many distinguishing features of the first period of Zimbabwe architecture.

On the floor of this passage at this point and upwards there is a flight of some thirty or forty steps. Each is very narrow from front to back, so much so that it is exceedingly awkward for anyone wearing boots to climb or descend them, though the Makalanga with their bare feet climb them with the greatest ease. The steps extend from side to side of the passage, but their end blocks, which here are very small, are not built into the foundations of the side walls as are the large steps to be found in the entrances and passages of all the original buildings at Zimbabwe. It is therefore believed that these steps in the ascent, or at least these particular steps, are not ancient, but are laid upon the original steps by mediÆval Makalanga, for there is a freshness in their appearance which is never seen in steps which are undoubtedly ancient. This belief is strengthened considerably when one compares the flight of toe-lines with the broad, deep, and massive steps at several points in the ascent, which were built when the foundations of the passage walls were laid.

At the top end of the curve in this length of passage the heights of both walls are 9 ft., with a width of passage at this point of 2 ft. 4 in. In this curve are traces of several rows of large steps.

At 12 ft. above the curve the passage turns with a sharp angle to due west-north-west. On the north or inner side at this turn is a large buttress built up against the face of the cliff. This buttress is 19 ft. 6 in. in height at its rear and abuts from the cliff for 2 ft. 6 in. The front of the buttress is only 7 ft. in height. The buttress is 19 ft. long, but wall dÉbris fallen from the summit of the cliff extends upwards towards the entrance to the Rock Passage for another 8 ft. The outer wall here averages from 2 ft. 6 in. to 3 ft. 6 in. in height. This wall has every appearance of having been reconstructed at a later period. Its face is exposed to the fall of every stone from the walls on the summit of the precipice, and no wall dÉbris could descend without damaging it. Up against its face were piles of blocks which had come from above, but some of these piles were comparatively modern. This point in the ascent, owing to the formation of the face of the cliff, would have guided to it all dÉbris falling from the southern wall of the Eastern Temple, some portions of which have fallen into the ascent. The passage between the buttress of the outer wall is 2 ft. wide, but at the top end of the buttress it widens out to 4 ft. where it enters the Rock Passage.

(b) THE ROCK PASSAGE

From this point the ascent is continued in the same direction between the main cliff of the hill on the inner side (which at this elevated level of the ascent is only 50 ft. above the passage) and a colossal boulder on the outer side. This boulder beetles inwards towards the cliff and over the heads of passers-by. The outside height of the boulder appears to be some 80 ft. or 90 ft., and at one time before the occupation of the hill by the ancient builders it formed part of the main cliff from which it had fallen away for some feet, both outwards and downwards; the depression in the face of the cliff from which it slipped is still the exact shape of the boulder. In the Rock Passage the height of the inside face of the boulder above the artificially made raised floor is about 40 ft. to 20 ft., according as the ascent rises. The ancients are believed to have filled in the split opening between cliff and boulder to the needed height to carry their ascent. This practice was a common one with the ancients, and a good instance of this work is seen in the Buttress Passage in the Acropolis ruins.

Once inside the Rock Passage the path rises rapidly till it reaches the open at the 200 ft. level of the hill. The passage is 48 ft. long, and its average width is 2 ft. 6 in., but at one point it is barely 1 ft. 10 in. wide. Where the boulders end on the higher side a wall runs up on the outer side for 8 ft., and this is 4 ft. to 1 ft. higher, lessening as the path ascends. The cliff here still forms the inner side for this distance, and at the top end is a rounded buttress jutting out from the cliff for 3 ft., and below it, and on the south side, are several well-defined large steps of the undoubtedly ancient type ascending on the outer side of the buttress for 12 ft.

At the end of this 12 ft. length the passage turns north and north-east for 21 ft., and passes on the west side of the wedge-shaped-ended wall, which forms the division where the path to the Higher Parapet leaves the ascent. At the end of the 21 ft. length the walls of the ascent appear to terminate, but the path to the Western Temple and to the other ruins on the hill is continued through a gap made recently, for the sake of visitors, in a Makalanga-built wall erected on ancient foundations. This reconstruction of the wall by Makalanga without leaving any entrance downwards to the ascent deliberately blocked it up. This bears out the Zimbabwe headmen’s statement that within the last fifty years they rarely used the ancient ascent in climbing up to their kraal on the summit of the hill. Passing through the gap in the Makalanga wall one enters the Western Enclosure, which lies at the foot of the west face of the west wall of the Western Temple.

But the description so far given of the ascent is incomplete, for on the east side of the wedge-shaped buttress, which is on the west side of the Rock Passage, is a passage to the Western Temple by the Higher Parapet.

(c) THE HIGHER PARAPET

The length of this parapet, which extends from within 9 ft. 6 in. of the summit of the ancient ascent, is 78 ft., and it runs in an easterly direction from the right-hand side of the ascent at the point where is the upper wedge-shaped buttress and the outer parapet wall is built along a narrow ledge at the very utmost edge of the cliff. Its front foundation stones are wedge-shaped to suit the declivity of the rock on which they are placed. At certain points this parapet wall has fallen over the brink into the Rock Passage below, but the foundations remain. This dilapidation is more apparent at the eastern end of the parapet, where it passes on the precipice side of the face of a projecting boulder and also of a rounded buttress 7 ft. high, which is very well built. The boulder is erected up against the bottom part of the rounded end of the main west wall of the Western Temple on its southern extremity. This rounded buttress is 4 ft. west of the point where the Higher Parapet joins the Parallel Passage, which is a still more easterly and more elevated extension of the ancient ascent to the Western Temple.

Coming up the ascent, and 9 ft. 6 in. from its summit, the path divides as before mentioned at the wedge-shaped buttress, the right-hand path being the approach to the Higher Parapet. Three feet above this wedge-shaped end of wall are clear traces of large steps, and at this point and on the right-hand side is a portion of dentelle pattern introduced into the wall, and this faces due west. This pattern originally consisted of five columns of blocks with projecting edges, but the lower portions of four columns now only remain. The blocks are in five courses. Unlike the dentelle blocks lower in the ascent, and also the blocks in this pattern on the Platform of the Western Temple, these blocks are of the ordinary size used in building the walls, and in size resemble the blocks used in this pattern on the east main wall of the Eastern Temple, and also those in this pattern on the Conical Tower in the Elliptical Temple.

The highest part of the outer wall of the Higher Parapet is now only 2 ft. 6 in., with a similar width on the top. The width of the approach to this parapet from the wedge-shaped end of the dividing wall is 2 ft. on the floor. The wall on the inner side of the parapet at its western end is 4 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft. high, and rounds off to the south to the wedge-shaped end where it terminates.

Visitors should refrain from passing along the Higher Parapet unless they are perfectly certain no one is in the Rock Passage at the time, as any block put in motion even by the careful climber must fall into the passage below. As before stated, the parapet wall is very dilapidated and blocks might fall at the slightest movement near them. But even with this caution the Higher Parapet is not a safe place for visitors, for, as can be seen from below, the foundations of the parapet, which are built over the brink of the precipice, show a bulging out which must sooner or later effect the destruction of the parapet.

The Higher Parapet would enable the ancient defenders to effectually block the approach of any enemy through the Rock Passage, however great their number.

There are two points worthy of notice in connection with this ancient ascent:—-

1. Original heights of walls.—The walls of the ascent in their original state were considerably higher than even the highest (9 ft.) as seen at two points to-day. In discussing this matter with some of the Makalanga headmen, it was ascertained that even within their day, say fifty years—for Mogabe is fully seventy years of age—some of the highest walls were 4 ft. or 5 ft. higher than they are at present. But on examining the numerous and immense wall-dÉbris piles which were removed in August, 1902, the estimate as to the heights of the walls in their original form has to be very considerably increased, for these piles were only the dÉbris of the inner side walls and of the inner faces of the outer walls, since the main portions of the outer walls which have fallen have gone down the precipice, for at its base one can walk for over 100 yds. on wide and high piles of wall dÉbris which has fallen down from the outer walls of the ascent.

The present widths of the walls also are some guide in forming an estimate of their original heights. Some of these walls are from 5 ft. to 7 ft. wide on their present very reduced summits, and taking the usual Zimbabwe batter-back of 1 ft. in 6 ft. which is found in many of the buildings of the first period of Zimbabwe architecture—and these buildings are most manifestly of that period—it would be within a safe limit were it stated that these passage walls were at least 15 ft. high on either side throughout the greater length of the ascent. This estimate would then fairly account for the great amount of wall dÉbris with which whole lengths of the ascent were completely choked up, in some places to the tops of the walls on either side, and also for the wall dÉbris at the foot of the ascent.

Certainly most of the damage to the walls was done centuries ago, for the ancient blocks on the sides and tops of the dÉbris piles have, since they fell into their present position on the piles, become on all their exposed faces and sides, and even on their back parts, as weathered and time-eaten, and in some cases as decomposed, as the front faces of the blocks remaining in the walls.

But, unfortunately, irreparable damage has been done to these walls within the last twenty years, and certainly within the last ten years, for trees of not older growths than these periods were found to be growing right in the centres of the walls, their roots pushing out lengths of wall faces. This is the cause of the destruction of the lower set of dentelle pattern, which has certainly been effected during the last ten years. The inside of the wall from which the dentelle blocks have fallen has every appearance of being quite fresh, and is not in the slightest degree weather or time-worn.

2. The ascent from the coast route.—This ancient ascent being on the south side of the hill, and running for 600 yds. from the valley at the clear east end of the hill up the south face to the summit, it may naturally be taken for granted that this was the path along which all arrivals by the route from the coast at or near Sofala would approach Zimbabwe Fortress. As there are only two ancient ascents, the southern and the north-western, and all other parts of the hill being inaccessible, this conjecture may probably be the correct one, for to have traversed the North-Western Passage for such a purpose would have taken the ancients at least one mile out of their way. Every step taken down the Southern Passage was one taken nearer to the coast.

On referring to The Ancient Ruins of Rhodesia, it will be found that chains of ruins of forts, occupying strategic positions at comparatively equal distances from each other, run in a south-easterly direction along the Motelekwe River, and are further carried along the Sabi far into Portuguese South-East Africa. The south ascent appears to be the north-west termination of this line from the coast, and the importance of this approach is demonstrated by the presence of two outer distinct and large ruins in the valley at the south-eastern end of the hill, and these guard the lowest extremity of the ascent. The Mapaku Ruins, misnamed Little Zimbabwe, which lie eight miles south-east of the Great Zimbabwe, would form the first posting station and fort for the protection of the road to the Motelekwe chain of forts.

Besides, the contour of the country round Zimbabwe very clearly points this route out as the ancient line of road to the south-east coast, any other line, as can be seen from the summit of Zimbabwe Hill, being barred by ranges of steep and high kopjes, in addition to which it may be observed that the wagon road from Zimbabwe towards the Motelekwe and Sabi rivers runs to-day along this identical line, as the formation of the land permits of no other route from Zimbabwe.

It was shown in chapter vii. that discoveries demonstrated that the ancients exported a large quantity of the gold won from the thousands of ancient workings on the numerous gold-belts of Southern Rhodesia. This amount authorities have placed, on a conservative estimate, at no less than £75,000,000. Most probably a portion of whatever gold was won in the northern gold districts of Southern Rhodesia went to the coast by a northern route and not vi Zimbabwe. But the gold collected from each of the capital towns in the more southern portion of Southern Rhodesia, the capital towns having collected the gold from their respective sub-districts on the reefs, would come to the metropolitan centre at Zimbabwe, ready for transmission by caravan to the coast. The districts that in all probability sent from their capital towns their stores of gold as they became accumulated, so far as the lines of forts and the contiguity, geographical position, and convenience indicate, would be the present Tati, Bulawayo, Bembesi, Selukwe, Gwanda, Filabusi, Belingwe, etc., and the gold districts of Southern Mashonaland. For the service of these districts the north-west ascent at Zimbabwe would appear to be extremely natural. The gold therefore, in all probability, was brought from these districts to Zimbabwe along its north-west ascent, and was taken away to the coast by the marvellously protected path leading to the south-east.

This argument is not mere romancing. It is one which has every evidence in its favour so far as any evidence can at present be secured. Passing along the south-eastern ascent we may be pardoned if some poor attempt be made to reconstruct some of the scenes that have taken place in ancient times within its narrow and tortuous walls. Here may have occurred the greeting of fresh arrivals from the coast, or from the mother country of the ancient colonists; the bringing of news from a far country, possibly news from Yemen, and later from Tyre and Sidon; news of changes in home dynasties or of the progress of those ancient and classic wars which shook the world and started fresh eras and epochs in its history.

There, too, might have been seen the train of slaves carrying their golden burden in claw-hammer-shaped ingots as stated to have been shown on the monuments of Punt, and as they are pictured in the tombs of ancient Egypt, of which the ancient soapstone moulds are represented in collections of relics found in Rhodesia. Ivory, apes, ostrich feathers, and gorgeous birds would be borne in the caravan, while gangs of slaves, doomed to exile, would follow in the convoy, for all these, since before the dawn of history, have been exported to the “Near East” from Sofala and ancient Rhodesia.

Again, there might have been seen the dusky Semitic crowd watching the departure of the results of their toil on so many ancient gold-bearing districts, dressed in short, armless tunics (p. 108),[59] and displaying massive gold bangles, exquisitely made and chased with Zimbabwe designs, on arms, wrists, legs, and ankles, and with chains of heavy gold beads round their necks, and in their hands the rods of office with the beaten gold sun images on the tops, gold ferules at the ends, or copper battle-axes and spearheads thickly plated with gold—for all these are articles plentifully found with the buried ancients of Rhodesia.

One can almost see the vantage grounds seized by the younger members of the ancient crowd to view such spectacles, for on the same granite cliff-ledges, foot-polished by ages of wear, the young men of the Makalanga love to climb and squat.

At the lower end of the passage, and near the two ancient forts which protect its south-eastern extremity, would be the soldiery in readiness to take up their position in guarding the caravan. One can realise how the ancients climbed on to the boulders at the very summit of Zimbabwe Hill to strain anxious eyes in watching the progress of the convoy down the valley towards the south-east till it disappeared in the blue distance of the lower land.

Romance is most undoubtedly buried on the floors of all Zimbabwe ruins throughout Rhodesia, but Romance rivalling that of Rider Haggard at his best pervades the massive walls of this ancient ascent as it insinuates its upward way along the precipitous side of Zimbabwe Hill.

WESTERN ENCLOSURE

To reach the Western Temple on the hill from the South-East Ancient Ascent, the Western Enclosure must first be crossed, seeing that the Higher Parapet path is now become dangerous.

This enclosure lies on the west side of the main west wall of the Western Temple. The highest part of the enclosure—the east—is 212 ft., and the lowest—the west part—is 205 ft. above the valley. The main west wall of the Western Temple forms its easterly boundary for 71 ft., the other walls making the enclosure nearly square. The wall on the north side is 52 ft. long, 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, and 3 ft. to 4 ft. wide on present summit. The west wall is 81 ft. long, and similar in width and height. The south side, with no wall now remaining, is 61 ft. long, and at 4 ft. to 7 ft. below the south edge, on the outside of this enclosure, runs the Higher Parapet previously described.

None of these enclosing walls, except, of course, the main wall of the temple, are ancient. They are rudely built, or, rather, neatly piled. This is obviously Makalanga work of a generation or two past, and the Zimbabwe Makalanga admit this to be the case. But at several points the walls run on ancient foundations. These modern natives, in imitation of the monoliths on the temple wall above, have erected a slate monolith on their north wall, but upside down. Slate beams, evidently fallen from the wall above, have been used by the Makalanga as building material, as using them saved labour.

But there are strong evidences that the builders of the ruins themselves used this ground as an enclosure, and these in addition to the remains of the enclosing walls’ foundations. At a distance of 15 ft. in front of the main wall of the temple is a wall built in good style and, till recently, perfectly buried in soil. This portion of a wall runs from north-east to south-west for 7 ft. 6 in., and is 2 ft. 6 in. high, ending at each extremity abruptly, the south-west end showing a tendency to curve more to the south.

Also in the north-east corner and at the foot of the main wall of the temple, and at 7 ft. and 15 ft. respectively from it, there are very decided traces of terrace walls, with parapets descending into the interior of the enclosure. The probable purpose of these terraced walls is alluded to in the description of the Western Parapet, as this parapet runs through other enclosures described later.

The drop of 7 ft. towards the west in the level of the surface of this enclosure rather tends to support the theory advanced by Messrs. Bent and Swan that the main west wall of the Western Temple once stood some yards more to the west of the present west main wall. This theory is at present somewhat difficult to accept, for the existing wall is the widest wall yet known in any ruin in Rhodesia, not excepting the huge main walls of the Elliptical Temple in the valley. This main wall of the Western Temple is 11 ft. wide on its summit at 18 ft. above the ground. Still there are other points, mentioned later in connection with the Western Temple, which would seem to support Messrs. Bent and Swan’s theory.

Passing from the Ascent, along the south side of this enclosure, climbing the wall dÉbris in front, and passing through a gap in the dilapidated part of the main wall directly opposite, one enters the Western Temple at its south-west corner.

---