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

CENTRAL AREA

This area of unexplored ground lies at the centre of the temple. It was originally very much larger, but recent excavations have reduced it in extent. The space covered is 80 ft. from east to west, and 30 ft. from north to south, and it extends between Nos. 5 and 14 Enclosures, and Nos. 1 and 10 Enclosures.

S.E. INTERIOR OF ELLIPTICAL TEMPLE, LOOKING N.N.E., SHEWING EXCAVATIONS ON PLATFORM AREA, 1902–4

Some plans of the temple show dotted lines to mark position of conjectured walls, but most of these have been found not to exist. On the surface of the highest portion of this area are slight walls of shallow foundations and poor construction built across soil and blocks thrown promiscuously together, and probably the blocks and the debris of some buried structures at a lower level.