Great Zimbabwe, Mashonaland, Rhodesia / An account of two years' examination work in 1902-4 on behalf of the government of Rhodesia

by R. N. Hall

ANCIENT WALLS AT A DISTANCE FROM ANY MAIN RUINS ARE OF A LESS SUPERIOR CONSTRUCTION

There is another class of building found in walls erected at a distance from any main ruins, and these, though constructed in a somewhat rougher form, are otherwise all built upon the principles of the First Period of Zimbabwe architecture. These walls can be clearly shown to have formed part of the original purpose, plan, and construction as the main ruins, and prove that the original ancient builders, while devoting their best skill to the temples and residential portions of the building, were satisfied with a somewhat inferior quality of workmanship for their more distant walls, and for such of their outlying buildings as were used for some purpose, judging by the finds, other than those of workshop or residence, most probably as forts, workshops, stores for grain, or as the housing places of slaves.

The close connection between the well-built walls of the main ruins and these outlying walls and buildings is, in many instances, easy to establish, and this may be shown as follows:—

1. The sole difference between the construction of the main ruins and the outlying buildings lies in the quality of workmanship and material, these outlying walls showing all other features of first-period architecture to the exclusion of any feature of the second or later periods of construction.

2. Connecting passages between the inner portions of main ruins and the outlying buildings are well built in and near the main ruins, but are excellently constructed as distance is reached, though the line of foundations throughout, as also the cement flooring, are one and the same.

3. Undoubted ancient floors are laid up to and against such walls.

4. Relics of prehistoric character, similar to those discovered within any of the main ruins, have been found beyond main walls in connecting passages and in the more distant ruins.

These evidences as to the early period during which some of the more distant walls were erected are also found in other large ruins of Southern Rhodesia, but at Zimbabwe, where the Acropolis affords such a commanding view of the lines of walls of the outer ruins and of the directions of recently unburied passages of great length, and of the sweep of the walls connecting main ruins with outlying buildings, the original purpose of many of the walls and minor ruins appears to be very manifest.

In these outer walls the blocks are of far greater size, their shape is frequently irregular, and unhewn stones are employed, but their faces are even on either side and the internal parts are neatly filled in with stones. All these walls have the usual Zimbabwe batter-back, have rounded entrances, and the steps are not built in between the side walls, but are formed by the courses of the foundations. Plumb walls and angular entrances are very rarely met with.