Eastern Temple—Ancient Balcony—Balcony Enclosure—Balcony Cave—Gold Furnace Enclosure—Upper Gold Furnace Enclosure—Pattern Passage—Recess Enclosure—North Plateau—North Parapet.

THE EASTERN TEMPLE

THIS temple is situated at the most easterly part of Zimbabwe Hill Ruins, on the south side of the line of high cliffs and gigantic boulders which extend from the east to the west along the summit of the hill. The centre of the present surface of the interior of this temple is 222 ft. above the valley.

The main wall is built on a wide curve towards the east extending 98 ft. from the south face of the cliff on the north side round to the south side, thus disposing the area in a quarter section of a circle with the apex of the section at the north-north-west of the interior.

A cliff rising perpendicularly for 70 ft. from the floor of the temple forms the north side of the area, and the west side is formed by colossal boulders some 30 ft. to 50 ft. in height. The heights and the massiveness of the cliff and boulders lend a peculiar awe-inspiring appearance to this temple. These granite rocks, tapestried by Nature in all possible colours and shades of lichen, enclose two sides of the interior in the form of an amphitheatre, with the highest portion of the temple floor at the north end, the present surface gradually sloping down in a fall of 12 ft. towards the curved main and outer wall to its east and south-eastern points. On the highest part of this slope are two well-built retaining walls forming terraces behind them. These are described later.

This temple is considerably better built than is the Western Temple on this hill. The blocks in the walls are more carefully selected and fit together more perfectly, are of a better class of granite, and the courses are truer, while it would appear from the extent of purely artistic detail and finish introduced by the original builders that far greater skill was bestowed upon its construction than on that of the Western Temple.

Both temples are built strictly upon the lines of the First Period of Zimbabwe architecture, all of the features of the Second Period being altogether absent. Certainly some of the cement work of the higher floors appears to be ancient, but not of the period of the original builders, and it is possible that the Second Period ancients occupied the buildings, and finding them in such excellent condition, had no need to make repairs or extensions to the walls as they did in so many scores of First Period ruins throughout the country. The floors of the original builders of this temple have been opened out by a trench and exposed at a minimum depth of 4 ft. below the latest floor.

Bent and other writers have stated that this temple is orientated to the rising of the sun, which can be seen on a level and fairly distant horizon. The temple obviously affords a splendid natural means for observing the meridian.

On midwinter day (1902), in the Southern Hemisphere, the sun rose facing the eastern end of the main wall, and shone on the line of Dentelle Pattern, and also for an hour afterwards shone on the inside of the south-western end of the wall, and also on that of the floor. At the end of that time, and until 10.30 a.m., the sun did not shine on the temple, but only on the inside face of the summit of the south-west end of the curved main wall, the sun being hidden by the 70-ft. cliff on the north side of the interior. At 11 a.m. it shone over the cliff on to the south-western side of the interior. Half an hour before midday the sun shone on the inside of the southern wall and on the south floor from over the cliff, and also in a single narrow bar across the floor of the building through the north entrance to the temple, which is formed by a long and narrow passage between the high cliffs and some gigantic boulders. The sun shone through this narrow opening till about half an hour after midday, when the sun had passed the face of this narrow entrance, and only shone on the south-west and north-west portions of the interior from over the Ancient Balcony, which is much lower than the cliff, till a little after one o’clock, the sun then ceasing to shine on the interior for the rest of the day. At the spot where the line from the point of sunrise at the summer solstice cuts the midday beam of light which comes through the cliff entrance on the north, is the site of the ancient altar as determined by Bent, the site being true south of the north passage. It was at this spot that Bent found the pottery and soapstone solar discs, the decorated and plain phalli, the soapstone birds, carved beams, and decorated bowls resembling Phoenician ware. The writer’s examination of this spot was rewarded by “finds” of carved soapstone in great quantities.

So obviously noticeable is the beam of light at midday that as the sun quickly passed the end of the long and narrow rock passage the natives working for the writer fixed their noon “Tjiya!” (“Cease work!”) by it, and this they did on their own initiative.

Another feature may be noticed. A small circle of sunlight, about 2 ft. diameter, crosses the floor of the temple in a course equal to about a fifth part of the radius of a circle from the entrance to the Balcony Enclosure across the floor where Bent fixes the site of the ancient altar and passes over the eastern wall. This must have been observed by the ancients, for it is caused by a small opening between two boulders which they have utilised in “forming” the Ancient Balcony. At 3 p.m. this circle of light in the sunless interior, on the same day, rested on the spot at which, according to Bent, the ancient altar stood.

On Midsummer Day, 1903, the whole temple area was flooded with sunlight at noontide.

These particulars are given merely as matters of interest to the general reader, and scientists are referred to The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland, by Bent, for his calculations as to the orientation of this temple. Bent has given his opinion, based upon survey, that this temple was used for observing the summer solstice.

Two points, however, which may bear upon the orientation of this building and its use in the observation of sunrise and meridian may be noticed.

(a) No other temple which has been surveyed by scientists for the purpose of ascertaining its orientation, whether at Zimbabwe or elsewhere in Rhodesia, was so plentifully adorned with monoliths of carved slate or soapstone as was this temple, no less than thirty fallen monoliths, and the fractured portions of many others, having been found at the bases of the walls both inside and outside, while the dÉbris heaps, which have only been very partially searched, must yet contain other specimens. No other temple, so far discovered, had such a profusion of geometrically carved soapstone beams as were unearthed by Bent and by other explorers before him. This would appear to still further testify to the importance the ancients attached to the decoration of this temple, whether used for observing the seasons of the year and astronomical occurrences or not.

(b) The position of the Dentelle Pattern in two courses on the eastern face of the summit of the main wall is fixed on exactly the same plan as is shown in so many other ruins of temple buildings in Rhodesia (and the discovery of the ancient emblems of faith have so far only been made in buildings so decorated, on identical positions, with one of the three oldest patterns, namely, Dentelle, Chevron, or Herring-bone), and as this is so unmistakably seen in the case of numerous other ruins of similar buildings, the position of the pattern in this instance can hardly be a mere coincidence.

The Dentelle Pattern, which forms a distinguishing feature at the Zimbabwe ruins both on the hill and in the valley, and which is only found in First Period buildings, is, in this instance, believed to have originally extended some 30 ft. further towards the south-west, as a trace of it still remains on the highest remaining portion of the 39 ft. length of the main wall. The pattern throughout the 24 ft. length of main wall is somewhat damaged at several points, and the rows of stones which in all instances elsewhere covered this pattern have almost disappeared.

The interior measurements of this temple are as follows: 59 ft. 6 in. from north to south, the northern point for measurement being the large roughly built step at the south end of the North Passage; 66 ft. from south-east to north-west, the north-west point for measurement being the step at the bottom of the stairs leading from the temple to Balcony Enclosure; and 50 ft. from west-south-west to north-north-east.

The main wall is 98 ft. long, measuring along its inside face, and starts on the eastern side from the south face of the cliff for 10 ft. to the rounded entrance to the Gold Furnace Enclosure. This 10 ft. length of wall is 8 ft. higher than the interior floor at the cliff end, and is 5 ft. high at the entrance. The entrance is 3 ft. wide at the present top and 2 ft. on its floor. From the rounded entrance the wall runs facing east-south-east for 24 ft. This section of the main wall stands 8 ft. above the present level of the interior, but 12 ft. 6 in. from an ancient floor exposed in a trench sunk some 4 ft. 6 in. into the present floor. At the south end of this length there is a gap in the wall of 22 ft., the wall which remains rising only 6 in. above the present surface of the lowest part of the temple. The wall starts again at the south end of the gap, and runs for 39 ft. towards the south-south-west. The highest portion of this length is 11 ft. 3 in. above the ancient floor as exposed in the trench cut along the interior face of the main wall, the south-western end of the wall being only 4 ft. higher than the Western Entrance, which has been raised at a later period 5 ft. 6 in. above the original floor of the entrance.

The widths of the main wall are as follows:—

The 10 ft. length is 7 ft. wide at the present floor, but was probably wider, as its eastern face has fallen out into the Gold Furnace Enclosure, which is immediately below. The angle between the east outside face and the cliff was filled in by a rounded buttress, which has also collapsed and fallen into the enclosure below.

The 24 ft. length is 4 ft. 7 in. wide on the present summit. At 12 ft. south of the Eastern Entrance, an inner or banquette wall runs along the inside of the main wall, and stands out 2 ft. at its north end, 7 ft. at south end, till it narrows into and becomes part of the main wall at the Western Entrance.

The 22 ft. length is 5 ft. wide at the bottom of the gap, with a further width of 3 ft. 6 in., which includes that of the banquette wall.

The 39 ft. length of main wall is 5 ft. wide on the summit, and this with the width of the banquette wall, which at this point is 5 ft. 6 in. wide, makes a total width of 10 ft. 6 in.

The heights of the main wall from the outer bases are as follows:—

The 10 ft. length is 24 ft. above its base, and this, with the 24 ft. length of main wall, forms the western side of the Gold Furnace Enclosure.

The 24 ft. length is 25 ft. high, and is divided into two depths, one below the other, 11 ft. and 14 ft., the 11 ft. being the wall and the 14 ft. being a long buttress which starts at 9 ft. from the south side of the 22 ft. gap and runs to the cliff. The main wall, however, is continued down to the base of the buttress which is built up against it. This buttress forms a terraced passage, and was probably the way the ancients passed from the Eastern Temple to the Gold Furnace Enclosure below by means of a natural bridge formed by a long and narrow boulder, the west end of which is built into the buttress, down the north side of which is a narrow descent with a few block steps still remaining.

The 39 ft. length is 22 ft. higher than the dÉbris at its outer base, it is 17 ft. higher than the dÉbris at the centre of the main wall, and 11 ft. at the steps which lead up from Pattern Passage to the Western Entrance of the Eastern Temple.

On the top of the south banquette wall were most probably steps leading up to within 2 ft. or 3 ft. of the summit of the wall as if for a look-out. A rounded buttress stands out 2 ft. 6 in. from the main wall, and between it and the inner edge of the banquette wall are some blocks which, though displaced, have fallen in such a way as to provide very strong grounds for this conjecture.

The Eastern Entrance has a pair of buttresses on a semi-circular platform projecting 7 ft. into the temple area, the faces of the buttresses being rounded and flush with the outside edge of this platform. The buttress on the north-east side is 3 ft., and judging by dÉbris, it was once at least 7 ft. high. The opposite buttress is now only 1 ft. 6 in. high. (For measurements of this entrance, see Main Wall.)

Between the south buttress and the banquette wall which runs southwards along the inside of the wall is another raised platform or “blind steps,” but very ruined and projecting now only 2 ft. from the main wall. Among the loose stones on the top of this small platform, which is 6 ft. long, Bent found one of the soapstone birds which has a cystos, with sections of a carved soapstone beam, all of which are now in the museum at Capetown.

At the north side of this entrance is a wall 15 ft. long reaching from the entrance to an angular point in the north cliff. This space so enclosed was built up inside in the form of steps, or blind steps, for they led nowhere, resembling the blind steps in Nos. 7, 9, and 12 Enclosures, and in the Sacred Enclosure (west) in the Elliptical Temple in the valley. The face of a small buttress protrudes some 18 in. from the face of this wall at about midway. Possibly this may have been the lowest step of the blind steps built up in this corner. In 1888 this raised platform had on its summit a soapstone bird and beams. In 1903 two phalli and sections of four soapstone beams were found here, also small gold beads on and near this platform.

The North Entrance is a narrow and deep rock passage 23 ft. long. The east side is formed by the north-west end of the north cliff, and is 45 ft. higher than the floor of the passage, but it beetles over the passage for 6 ft. beyond its north-western side, and so forms, with the immense boulders on the north-west side, an almost complete archway right over the passage. The passage is from 2 ft. to 7 ft. 10 in. wide, but with rounded buttresses, the foundations and dÉbris of which still remain, and also with a boulder that almost blocks the passage; the width of the passage throughout its whole length could not have been more than 2 ft. before the buttresses had become dilapidated. The passage emerges at its north end on the North Plateau (described later).

The West Entrance is formed by the rounded end of the western extremity of the main wall and a large boulder between which it passes. On its present floor it is only 1 ft. 10 in. wide, the wall side having some six courses of blocks exposed. The boulder on the north side has moved some 2 ft. into the entrance since the wall was built, and so partially closed it up, for originally the floor of the entrance was fully 5 ft. lower, and passed into the temple without steps. This was discovered to be the case when the upper portion of Pattern Passage was cleared out (July, 1902), when steps were made over the entrance dÉbris to enable visitors to pass from Pattern Passage into the temple.

The remains of another raised platform—but this one of granite cement—are on the west side of the interior immediately on the left-hand side on entering the temple at the west entrance. This platform is now ruined owing to its having been trodden on by oxen when this temple was used as a cattle kraal. In 1888 three large soapstone birds on tall beams stood on this platform, but in 1890 were removed by Bent, and are now in the museum at Capetown. The holes in the cement made by Bent on digging out the bases of the beams can still be seen.

From 6 ft. north of this last-mentioned platform is some semi-circular clay-work rising in three tiers. Possibly these were steps leading up to the highest terraced level of the interior, but it may be doubted whether they had any claim to antiquity.

Sunken Passage.—This passage runs from south-west to north-east under the present floor of the Eastern Temple for 23 ft., starting from inside the banquette wall at 8 ft. east of the west entrance. Its depth is 9 ft. below the surface of interior of temple, but its side walls are only 7 ft. high. It is 4 ft. wide at the south end and 6 ft. wide at the north. At north-east end is a rounded buttress 5 ft. high. No approach or steps down into the passage have so far been discovered. The passage terminates at the large buttress (already mentioned), the summit of which is 4 ft. below the surface, is situated within 3 ft. and immediately in front of Bent’s “altar.” The east side wall of the passage is better built than the west side.

Bent’s “altar.”—This “altar” was stated by Bent to be 10 ft. nearer to the rising sun at the solstice than the centre of the arc of the curved, massive, and decorated main wall. Surveyors having located this spot, examinations were made in 1903, with the result that some twenty-five phalli, also some sections of phalli, and of carved portions of soapstone beams and bowls, were found within 3 ft. of this spot on two sides, and all within a few minutes of each other. This is by far the largest “find” of phalli ever made at Zimbabwe. At this spot Bent also made his largest “find” of phalli, solar discs, and other relics. The large soapstone birds were found 3 ft. or 4 ft. further south-west of the “altar.” Messrs. Posselt, who resided and farmed at Zimbabwe in 1888 and before the Occupation, wished to remove these birds, but the previous Mogabe (Chipfuno) refused his consent.

Internal walls.—On the north side of the interior of this temple is a wall acting as a retaining wall, with filled-in ground behind it forming a terrace. This upper terrace is at the highest point of the floor of the temple, and is 16 ft. long, 4 ft. high, and 2 ft. 6 in. on the summit. Judging by the amount of dÉbris, this terrace had in all probability a parapet wall along its summit. The wall runs from N. 25° E. to S. 20° W., and starts from the south side of a huge boulder at 16 ft. north-west of the North Entrance.

On the south-west side and at the north-west end of the interior of the temple, and corresponding with the first terraced wall just described, is another terrace wall 12 ft. long and 3 ft. high, running eastwards from the south side of the cliff which forms the north-west side of the temple and the south-west side of the passage which runs from the Cleft Rock Enclosure to this temple. The two corresponding terraces form a junction with an abutment wall projecting south-east for 2 ft. 6 in. This projection is 2 ft. high and 5 ft. 6 in. wide.

Immediately in front of this projection on the south-east side and sloping down for some distance towards the lower part of the temple is some cement work, which, though old, does not appear to be ancient, for it contains splinters of time-worn monoliths which show signs of having once stood upon one of the walls. The purpose of this cement projection is not clearly seen, for tree roots have easily passed through such rough cement and have torn it out of all shape, besides which it has become decomposed and soft.

Between the angle formed by this last-described terraced wall and the projection just mentioned is a very rudely cemented floor also much decomposed. The few steps leading up from the flooring at this point towards the path to the Cleft Rock Enclosure are quite modern, having been built by the writer to enable visitors to pass over the dÉbris of a large rounded buttress which once stood against the north-west side of the nearest boulder. From the top of this dÉbris pile steps of an ancient character, and more or less defined, continue up the slope at the foot of the south side of the cliff where runs a path towards the Cleft Rock Enclosure.

A second and lower terrace is 4 ft. long and 4 ft. high, and is carried on a red cement foundation 18 in. thick. It terminates abruptly on the south-west extremity in a broken end. This wall juts out from the south side of the north cliff at 15 ft. east of the North Entrance, and runs south-west. Immediately behind this wall is a second wall running parallel with it, the face of the second or back wall actually touching the back of the front wall. This back wall runs south-west for 5 ft. beyond the end of the front wall, where it also terminates in a broken end. It is 3 ft. high, but in all probability it was once much higher.

The Balcony Enclosure, which is at the north-west end of the temple and is described later, provided another entrance to this temple, the Balcony Enclosure being approached from the west and north sides respectively by the passage through the Balcony Cave and the ascent from Rock Holes Path.

The Ancient Balcony is at the north-west end of the temple, the whole interior of which it overlooks, and appears to have acted for this temple in the same manner and for the same purposes as The Platform of the Western Temple and The Platform in the Elliptical Temple in the valley. This Ancient Balcony is described later.

The interior of this temple has been used by the past and present Makalanga as a cattle kraal, and very possibly the cattle have trodden any cement work out of shape. It was found to be covered with a thick stratum of cattle manure, which again was covered by wall dÉbris, and still further by a foot depth of rich vegetable mould thickly matted with roots of creepers, shrubs, and trees.

THE ANCIENT BALCONY

At the north-west end of the Eastern Temple, and at the highest point of the interior and immediately behind the higher of the terraced walls before described, fourteen steps, eight of granite cement and six of blocks, lead for 26 ft. in a north-westerly direction up a passage-way formed on the south side by a cliff, and on the north side by two large boulders. Each step is 5 in. high and extends back 18 in. The ascending passage is 7 ft. wide at its lowest part, and narrows to a creep-hole between the cliff and the upper of the two large boulders to just the size that will permit of a man passing through by stooping.

Over this passage are two colossal boulders, held up in a horizontal position by the cliff, the level top of the southernmost being 26 ft. above the bottom of the steps, which are exactly underneath. The steps are laid on cement, and probably are of a late period, at any rate there is evidence that they have been very considerably repaired.

Immediately facing the top of the steps, and 4 ft. above the creep-hole, is a rounded buttress projecting from the side of the cliff, and measuring 15 ft. in circumference. The highest part faces east, and is still 9 ft. 6 in. in height, while the north-west side is considerably dilapidated.

This passage is the approach to the Ancient Balcony and Balcony Enclosure. Following up the passage, and turning to the right at the top, one ascends a bank with traces of steps between the boulder which forms the creep-hole, and a wall on the north, and arrives on the Balcony.

The Balcony is formed by the level and parallel tops of the horizontal boulders, and is 39 ft. long, and at its widest part 12 ft. 10 in. On the south-east side is a parapet wall from 1 to 3 ft. present reduced height, and 2 ft. 6 in. wide.

The Balcony is 248 ft. above the valley, and commands a most extensive view to the south-east, including the Elliptical Temple in the valley, and the Schlichter Gorge, which extends into a sea of romantically shaped summits of kopjes and blue distances. The Balcony commands a complete view of the whole of the interior of the Eastern Temple.

BALCONY ENCLOSURE

The length of this enclosure from north to south is 51 ft., and the average width from 15 ft. to 20 ft., the whole of the sides being formed by cliff and boulders, except on the north side, where a space between two large boulders has been built up by the ancients. This wall is 9 ft. long and 11 ft. high.

The wall extending from the north-east corner of the Balcony, and on the north side, except for one short length, is not ancient. Local Makalanga state their people of some two or three generations back re-erected the wall on the old foundation. This is obviously the fact. But an entrance from the North Plateau was once at this point, and led down steps on the outside, going west between two large boulders zigzag downwards to the Rock Holes Path.

BALCONY CAVE

At the west end of this enclosure is a steep descent of 36 ft. between two boulders into Balcony Cave formed by a cliff, the east face of which beetles over the descent. The cave is 19 ft. wide at the bottom and is very much filled in with wall dÉbris, silted soil, and large scales of granite off the face of the overhanging rock. This cave formed an entrance into the Balcony Enclosure from the Rock Holes Path, which runs along the north-west face of the cliff, only on a very much lower level. A wall 18 ft. high starts from the bottom of the cave and is built across it on the north side, running west to east. This wall is partly rounded on the upper portion. At 7 ft. from the ground the lower part of this wall has collapsed and blocked up the exit. Another wall 8 ft. long and 6 ft. high and in two rising tiers crosses from side to side at a higher level. Two almost perfectly shaped monoliths, very much weather-worn, were found among the dÉbris in this cave.

GOLD FURNACE ENCLOSURE

This enclosure is 12 ft. lower than the Eastern Temple, the outer face of the eastern main wall for 15 ft. forming its west side. On all other sides it is surrounded by cliff and boulders, a continuation of the north cliff of the Eastern Temple forming its north side. The area is 46 ft. from west to east, and 32 ft. from north to south. At the south-west corner is a chasm 14 ft. long, 2 ft. to 5 ft. wide, and 11 ft. high running between the front base of the temple wall and the west end of the huge boulder, 44 ft. long, which forms the southern side of the enclosure. The chasm leads out of the enclosure to the south side of the outer wall of the temple. It was once much larger, but owing to silting in of soil and dÉbris, and the falling of decomposed slabs of granite from its roof, it has become narrowed and shallowed. Along the buttress which forms the lower part of the east front of the temple wall was a path from the east entrance of the temple to the top of the chasm, which was further arched with granite slabs making a wider bridge, and this led to the floor of this enclosure by means of steps which ran down the north face of the boulder on the south-west side of the enclosure.

It was in this enclosure that Bent believed he had discovered ancient gold furnaces. At the south-east corner is an open space 9 ft. wide, which once had a rounded buttress on either side. Beyond this point the ground falls rapidly to the south towards the edge of the precipice. Under the cliff are holes hardly deep enough to be termed caves, and these have been reduced in size by the silting in of soil.

UPPER GOLD FURNACE ENCLOSURE

This is situated at the north-east corner of the Gold Furnace Enclosure, but on a level of 4 ft. higher. Separating the two enclosures is a well-built wall 10 ft. long with a rounded entrance in the centre.

The greatest width of this enclosure is 9 ft. at the entrance, and its length is 44 ft., but it is very narrow except for about 12 ft. in the middle of the length. The south end runs between and under boulders, while the north end includes a cave under the continuation of the cliff which forms the north sides of the Eastern Temple and the Gold Furnace Enclosure. This cave has also been reduced in size by the filling in of dÉbris and soil.

PATTERN PASSAGE

This passage runs for 51 ft. along the outside of the south and south-west portion of the curved main wall of the Eastern Temple. In the south-west portion the passage is 2 ft. wide, and formerly its floor throughout this section was level with that of the present floor of Recess Enclosure, but a large boulder at the west entrance to the Eastern Temple having slipped and disturbed the entrance walls, steps have recently been erected to enable visitors to climb over the dÉbris heap.

On the west side of the northern length of the passage the wall is 11 ft. high, the upper portion receding from the passage at 8 ft. above the level of the floor at the foot of the newly-erected steps, and in the recess so formed is what appears to be a decorative pattern of original form made of rows of blocks, each row at the back of the other, and rising backwards in miniature steps or shelves. But these rows are not believed to have been intended or used as steps, as the lines of blocks on either side round off to come flush with the face of the wall and become part of the wall at each end, and are continued as ordinary courses in the faces of the wall. The exact correctness of these step-like rows and curves of blocks is remarkable. For the present, and until the purpose of these steps can be ascertained, this feature is called Step Pattern. It has been suggested that these steps must have formed a post for a guard to protect the Western Entrance to the temple.

The wall opposite the approach to Pattern Passage from Recess Enclosure is 8 ft. high, and rises to 17 ft., as the floor of the southern section of the passage descends somewhat sharply. The southern section terminates at the rounded end of the east wall of Recess Enclosure, which here is rather a fine piece of dry masonry. Formerly this section had steps let into the wall on either side, fragments of such stones still projecting from the walls, the foundations of which have been laid bare, and at one point undermined. This vandalism is not the work of archÆologists, but of unauthorised prospectors for gold relics, who have torn up the whole length of stairs and pavement, not only in this passage, but in every other passage on the hill which was not protected by being filled in with wall dÉbris.

RECESS ENCLOSURE[61]

This is an almost complete enclosure on the south side of the Eastern Temple, and separated from it by a deep and narrow passage, now known as Pattern Passage. Formerly a passage-way ran along the west side of the enclosure from north to south. The area of this enclosure is—south side, 17 ft. 6 in., north side 18 ft., west side 25 ft., and east side 20 ft. The surface shows signs of the enclosure having been filled in above its original floor by some later occupiers. The south wall has collapsed except for about 4 ft. at its west end, and this section is 8 ft. high, but the foundations of the rest of this wall are practically intact. The north wall is considerably broken, its highest point being now only 5 ft. above the present floor. The west wall, which is intact, is formed by the outer wall of a building erected at a much higher level, called South Enclosure C. This wall is 22 ft. high, and is in two parts—the upper part being rounded outwards at the extremities, and the centre rounded inwards. This wall is exceedingly well built, and is one of the finest pieces of masonry to be seen on the Acropolis, and shows very great architectural skill on the part of the ancient builders.

The south wall is now only 8 ft. to 9 ft., and on the inside face has a row of five vertical recesses built in the wall and flush with its face. These are altogether unlike anything yet discovered in any ancient ruins,[62] except, perhaps, at No. 1 Ruin at Khami. The widths of the faces of the wall between the recesses from north to south are 2 ft. 4 in., 1 ft. 9 in., 1 ft. 10 in., 1 ft. 7 in., and 1 ft. 8 in., and these are separated from each other by perpendicular crevices, each 5 in. wide. Most probably the recesses were once considerably higher. What practical purpose they could have served is at present impossible to state, but it has always been held that they probably once contained wooden beams.

The north-west entrance has rounded walls, and from the east side of this entrance are the remains of a passage wall running south. This wall is 6 ft. long, 2 ft. 6 in. high, and 2 ft. 6 in. wide; the foundations of this wall run almost as far as the south wall of the enclosure.

All the walls of this enclosure are well built.

In the north-east corner is an excavated hole, showing a wall running parallel to the east wall at a depth lower than the present floor of the enclosure. The north end of the east wall is beautifully rounded and tapers from its base to present summit, its face forming the south side of the east end of Pattern Passage.

NORTH PLATEAU

This plateau is situated to the north of the Eastern Temple and at the north of the cliffs, which form its north-east and north sides. Its shape is that of a quarter of a circle—the east side being formed by cliffs running towards the north-east, and the south side by huge boulders running out towards the north-west, the apex being at the north end of the North Passage of the Eastern Temple. The area from north to south is 67 ft., and from east to west 53 ft., the outer and open side being supported by a terrace wall extending along the front for 43 ft. This terraced wall is well built for this length. It has a drop from the outer surface edge of this plateau of 11 ft. Traces of a continuation of this wall across the gorge on the north side on to the opposite shoulder of the kopje can be seen; but the Makalanga state that the superstructure built upon these traces was made by their people long ago, and, indeed, this is very obvious. A Makalanga-built wall juts out from the north-east side a few feet towards the Visitors’ Path to this plateau. The plateau is covered with the clay foundations of the circular huts of the Makalanga, who up to four years ago had their kraal on the northern summit of the hill.

NORTH PARAPET

This structure is at the outer and northern base of the large curved main wall of the Western Temple, on which are the small towers and monoliths, where it curves towards the north-east and runs parallel with it for 44 ft. In this parapet is a rising passage with steps leading from the North-West Ancient Ascent up to the main wall, where it once passed through it and curved into Platform Enclosure where it can still be walked along. The point where this passage went through the main wall has been blocked up by the Makalanga, and the wall is so very dilapidated that it would be altogether unsafe to clear the entrance of the obstructing blocks.

The parapet was evidently once more extended towards the east, but the fall of dÉbris from the broken end of the main wall has carried the parapet below away.

The western extremity of this parapet is formed by a wall 11 ft. long projecting at right angles from the foot of the main wall. This wall is 8 ft. high and is 4 ft. wide on its present reduced summit. From opposite the north end of this wall commences the west side wall of the ancient ascent described later.

Immediately on the east side of the wall forming the western extremity of the parapet there are steps rising 3 ft. 6 in. facing north and leading up to the sunken passage on the parapet, and above these steps the passage turns east at right angles along the centre of the parapet.

The width of the parapet is 11 ft., and this width is divided as follows: width of passage 3 ft., of outer parapet wall 4 ft., and of inner wall 3 ft. 6 in. The passage rises 8 ft. between where it enters the North Parapet and where it rounds off towards the south-east through the main wall. The outer and inner walls are 3 ft. to 4 ft. above the passage floor, but the outer wall was probably once very much higher. There are traces of steps in the passage.

The height of the north face of the North Parapet from above the filled-in floor on the outside is from 9 ft. to 11 ft. This floor contains the remains of a rather old Makalanga hut.

A parapet wall of a similar character runs from the western end of North Parapet along the outer base of the main wall, and this is described later under the title of Western Parapet.

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