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

NO. 11 ENCLOSURE

This immediately adjoins on the north side of Sacred Enclosure (east). On the west side it is bounded by The Platform, on the east by a large rounded buttress which separates it from No. 12 Enclosure, but its northern boundary, if any, is at present difficult to determine.

Through this enclosure is the northern entrance to the Sacred Enclosure, and this entrance is within 8 ft. of the north face of the Conical Tower. Evidently both from its close proximity to the Sacred Enclosure, the Tower, and The Platform, the ancient occupiers considered this enclosure to be of importance, and the splendid construction of the massive steps leading toward the tower would appear to further confirm the correctness of this conjecture.

The area is, south side 18 ft.; west 14 ft.; east 14 ft.; and north 17 ft.

The wall on the south side is 13 ft. high at its western end, but is reduced by dilapidation to 6 ft. at the entrance to the Sacred Enclosure. At its highest point are five parallel horizontal bands of green chlorite schist[55] separated from each other by two courses of granite blocks. This wall is excellently built, and most patently differs in style and excellence of construction from the same wall which also forms the southern side of No. 12 Enclosure, and the difference strongly suggests that during the later ancient occupation the part of the wall which was continued into the adjoining enclosure fell down and was rebuilt only in a poorer style. This can also be seen on the opposite face of the wall in the Sacred Enclosure.

The wall on the west side is the outer face of the east wall of The Platform. This is 9 ft. high, measuring from the granite cement step at its base, and 10 ft. long. At the north end of this wall, which is rounded, is the approach to the summit of The Platform. On the face of this wall, and starting from the entrance to the Sacred Enclosure, is a decoration of seven parallel and horizontal rows of green chlorite schist, with two courses of granite blocks between each. Each row begins close up to the entrance, but all terminate towards the north of the wall, each lower row extending some 6 in. more north than the one above it.

On the east side the rounded buttress projects 6 ft. 6 in. from the south wall, and is still 4 ft. 6 in. high, and 11 ft. long measuring towards the east. This length may be divided into two portions, the eastern part which is angular and of poor construction, being in all probability a later erection to support the joint in the superior and poorer portions of the south wall, also the western portion already described. On the north side of this buttress is a granite cement floor raised 4 in. above the floor of the enclosure, and the step is rounded along its edge. The western and northern sides of this buttress were once faced with granite cement 3 in. thick in the form of a dado. A portion of this cement still remains on the north side, and the quality of the cement is identical with the cement found in dado fashion on the faces of other walls in the temple and on the Acropolis. The eastern addition to this buttress does not appear ever to have had a cemented dado.

The most striking features of this enclosure are its most excellent granite cement floor and its massive rounded steps. Until October, 1902, this enclosure was filled up to a height of 5 ft. above the present opened-out floors. The lowest strata of filling-in, 2 ft. thick, had been made by rains washing in the soil from adjoining and higher enclosures, the drain-hole through the south wall having become blocked. There was no vegetable matter in this stratum. The stratum of filling-in above the lowest one was a deliberate filling-in and levelling-up by Makalanga of a very early period, for this débris contained articles such as pottery, assegai-heads, clay whorls, which, though strongly resembling those of the present Makalanga pattern, were of a somewhat better quality than those made by them either to-day or within the last few generations. This stratum of filling-in was done at one and the same time, for the line of stratification was perfect and unbroken. Above this stratum was one of ordinary daga (clay) and not cement, and this contained articles more closely resembling those of present Makalanga make, but this stratum must have been filled in, judging by the quantity of débris found, more than seventy years ago, for according to local native accounts it was fully seventy years ago when the Makalanga ceased to occupy the Elliptical Temple as a place of residence, though sacrifices of oxen on certain feast days, as mentioned by Mauch, Phillips, and Bent, and local chiefs, took place in the temple down to thirty years ago, if not somewhat later. Above this stratum and forming the surface was a stratum of very rich leaf mould about 18 in. thick, and this was matted with vegetable growth.

SOUTH WALL WITH PATTERN, No. 11 ENCLOSURE, ELLIPTICAL TEMPLE

JOINT BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND RECONSTRUCTED WALLS, Nos. 11 & 12 ENCLOSURE, ELLIPTICAL TEMPLE

On digging out the roots of a large parent monkey-rope tree, which had done considerable damage to the south wall of this enclosure, and which tree appears in all the old photographs of the Conical Tower, a section of an ancient floor was discovered at a depth of 5 ft. Some twenty tons of filling-in were removed, and the whole of the cement floor as seen to-day was exposed. The old visitors’ path crossed this enclosure 5 ft. above this cement floor.

The cement work in this enclosure is most excellent, hardly a scratch being seen upon its surface. It is the finest and most perfect specimen yet found either at Zimbabwe or any ancient ruin in Rhodesia. The granite powder in the cement is so firmly set that picks cannot make any impression upon it. This flooring averages 18 in. to 2 ft. in thickness, and must rest on a splendid foundation, for the levels of the floor are almost true to this day.

A large cement step runs north and south at 2 ft. from the west side. This is 14 in. high and 5 ft. long, but originally, according to its curve and traces of its continuation, 7 ft. long. The step which has a rounded edge forms the lower portion of the approach to The Platform.

A second step runs from north to south at 5 ft. from the front of the first step, and slightly curves out eastwards. This step is 12 ft. high, 11 ft. 6 in. long, and has a boldly rounded edge. The floor has a slight fall to the south-east corner, where is a drain-hole which has its exit near the small tower in Sacred Enclosure (east).

The entrance to the Sacred Enclosure, which is in the south-west corner of this enclosure, is 2 ft. 6 in. wide, is rounded, and has portcullis grooves on either side.