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. 12 ENCLOSURE

This immediately adjoins No. 11 Enclosure on its north-east side. Its east wall for 28 ft. is formed by west wall of Sacred Enclosure (east), and for 21 ft. by the west wall of Parallel Passage. These walls are one, and curve outwards towards the east to the extent of 6 ft. from a line drawn from end to end of the wall in this enclosure. This east wall is 49 ft. long and 10 ft. high, and from the angular buttress at the south-west corner has a banquette wall, 4 ft. high, projecting 1 ft. 6 in., and continued north-east for 32 ft. from the buttress. This wall is of inferior construction to the same wall on the east side of No. 11 Enclosure, the courses being most irregular, the stones ill-sorted, and there is no decoration on its face. The north-eastern portion is reduced to 3 ft. 6 in. in height for a length of 17 ft., the upper portion having fallen into Parallel Passage. The angular buttress in the south-west corner appears to have been built at a later period, when the west wall of Sacred Enclosure (east) was rebuilt, for the buttress covers the joint between the original portion and the later portion, as if to strengthen the wall at this point. The north side for 12 ft. is formed by a wall of this length, which is 4 ft. high and 3 ft. 6 in. wide on its present summit. But it is impossible at present to define either the western boundary or those of the remainder of the north and south sides, owing to the fact that all divisional walls in this portion of the temple have been covered over and buried during the period of some later occupiers.

In the angle formed by the east and south sides is a platform 6 ft. high and 11 ft. wide, which is approached by five steps, the platform and the steps being covered with granite cement. Similar steps and platforms are found in the angles of other enclosures both in the Elliptical Temple and in the ruins on the Acropolis. These are all remarkably alike in position, dimensions, and construction, and all appear to have answered an identical purpose. The sizes of the steps, the nearness of the lowest step to the walls preclude the suggestion that they were flights on the summits of the walls. (See Blind Steps—Architecture.)

A drain passes under the small platform and it has cement rims to lead the water to it.