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.