NORTH-WEST ANCIENT ASCENT

UNFORTUNATELY in describing this ascent it is necessary to commence at the summit and work downwards instead of upwards. The amount of débris which covered its lower lengths precluded the tracing of the ascent from below, and further it is only the higher lengths which have been cleared out, though now the lower parts can be easily followed.

The ascent begins at the Water Gate at the north-west base of the hill, and terminates at The Platform which overlooks the Eastern Temple on the Acropolis. Its total length is a little more than 500 ft.

Walking across the north-west face of the hill it would have been impossible to discover this ascent owing to the confusing number of lines of foundations and outcrops of walls running in all directions over the side of the hill, and the intermediate ground being so much covered with blocks. The idea that this ascent existed along its present lines was suggested by viewing the face of the hill from Mogabe’s kraal, which is on the opposite side of the north-west valley. From this point the step-like form of the side of the hill can be seen as a whole, and it appears obvious that artificial means had been employed in making the lines of projection on the side of the hill. These were subsequently examined, with the result that sections of a passage-way downwards were found in one chain extending from the summit to the base of the hill, though there were some long gaps between the sections, while the sections themselves were filled in up to where the side walls out-cropped for a few inches.

The sections of this ancient ascent, commencing at the summit, are as follows:—

(a) Passage through Platform Enclosure 72 ft. long (see Platform Enclosure).

(b) Passage through main wall 16 ft. long (do.).

(d) Section of ascent between Northern Parapet and the old visitors’ path which the ascent crosses 233 ft. long.

(e) Section between Visitors’ Path and the Water Gate, which is at the lowest point of the ascent, over 600 ft. long.

(f) Water Gate (see Water Gate).

The first three sections have already been described.

Section (d).—This extends from the Northern Parapet to the old visitors’ path. The passage on leaving the parapet turns north-west for 41 ft. The walls on either side are from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, but these heights are increased on either side by a further 2 ft. or 3 ft., owing to the depth of soil and block débris lying along the summits of the side walls, the passage for this length being found buried for this depth below the surface of the face of the hill. This length of passage is 2 ft. to 3 ft. in width. At 31 ft. from the upper end of this length and on the east side is a rounded entrance leading into an enclosure which is completely buried under débris and silted soil.

At the bottom end of this length of 41 ft. the passage turns due east for 32 ft., the corner wall being rounded. At this corner a passage from the west side enters the ascent, but this passage is at present buried in débris. The width of the ascent here averages 4 ft. to 5 ft. 6 in., but it is narrowed at one point to 2 ft. 6 in. by a rounded buttress projecting from the north side into the ascent. The heights of the walls for this length are: south side 6 ft. to 8 ft., with several feet depth of débris on its summit; north side 4 ft. to 8 ft. The ascent in this length has a fall of 6 ft. At the bottom of this length on the south side, and fronting up the ascent, is a rounded buttress in form of a quarter section of a circle, and this is 11 ft. round its base. It has a further buttress on its west side and traces of another on its east side, and between these two buttresses are the remains of steps, but a tree growing out of the steps has caused their dilapidation.

From this buttress the passage turns due north for 75 ft.; its eastern side from 28 ft. to 56 ft. of this length had fallen into the passage, but the rest of that side of the passage is still practically intact. Along this length the passage is deeply sunk into the face of the hill. The widths average from 2 ft. 10 in. to 6 ft. The side walls are of the following heights above the passage floor: east side, 7 ft. to 10 ft.; west side, 5 ft. to 10 ft. On either side of this length are enclosures which are completely filled in with débris and buried, but the entrances to these can be seen. This length of passage was found (October, 1902) to be completely buried, even for some feet above the 10 ft. side walls, and the floors of Makalanga huts were built across them and the passage.

At the 63 ft. point in this length are two entrances, one on either side of the passage. The one on the east side is rounded and is 6 ft. high, and steps are formed by the curving inwards of the courses of the wall. This leads into an enclosure until recently filled in and buried, and this enclosure is mentioned in the description of the North-West Face of Zimbabwe Hill, where it is described as being typical of so many other enclosures on this side of the hill. On the opposite side of the passage the entrance there is angular on one side and rounded on the other. Its side walls are 6 ft. high. This entrance is blocked up in the same manner as was the ascent. This leads into another buried enclosure, a portion of which has been cleared out and examined. The passage along the 75 ft. length has a fall of 11 ft.

SUNKEN PASSAGE, SECTION OF NORTH-WEST ASCENT, ACROPOLIS

HERRING-BONE PATTERN, WATER GATE RUINS, ZIMBABWE

At the bottom end of this length and going north is an enclosed area triangular in shape 47 ft. long, and with the apex resting in the lower end, where the passage becomes narrowed to 2 ft. 6 in. This area and the corresponding area of similar shape in the South-East Ancient Ascent appear to have been intended to serve a similar purpose—that is, to enable a crowd of defenders on a high level to act against two or three bands of the attacking party on a lower level and in a narrow passage. Into this area open out at least three entrances from buried enclosures on either side. The area has in its length a fall of 9 ft.

At the foot of this triangular-shaped area the passage runs north for 38 ft. It is 2 ft. to 4 ft. wide, and the side walls are 4 ft. high. The fall in this length is 5 ft. At the northern end of this length and crossing it at right angles is the old path used by visitors in making the ascent of the hill.

Section (e).—This extends from the old path used by visitors ascending the hill, down to the Water Gate.

From the Visitors’ Path the descent to the Water Gate is somewhat uninteresting, the passage walls being very much dilapidated, the upper side wall being particularly damaged, having been subject to the full force of falls of block débris down the face of the hill. In this way the lower side walls, having been so protected, are in a somewhat better condition.

Starting down from the path there appears to be a chaos of stones for some 15 ft., but still the passage can be traced. As there are several lines of well-laid blocks close to the crossing of the path and passage, it is quite probable that side passages ran into the main passage at this point. At the 15 ft. down a very wide wall 4 ft. to 5 ft. high runs down the north side of the passage for 140 ft.

The south side shows an unburied wall 30 ft. long and about 3 ft. high. At 80 ft. from the Visitors’ Path the passage opens out into a triangular space 25 ft. wide, with the apex resting at the lowest point of the steep enclosure. Such triangular spaces on the lines of steep passages are not uncommon, being found at several ruins. There is one higher up the same ascent, and another on the South-East Ancient Ascent. In each case the descent is steep, and the lowest point of the triangular area rests on a narrow passage coming up from below.

At 140 ft. below the Visitors’ Path the north wall alone is standing, and this runs downwards for 50 ft. This wall is 4 ft. high and is rather wide. The south wall is now represented only by a line of wall débris running parallel with the north wall.

At 190 ft. the passage becomes lost, but exactly parallel and at a distance of 20 ft. south is the commencement of another passage. Probably the upper length takes a sharp turn west under a pile of débris which lies between the two passages. This second passage has a buried wall 3 ft. high on the south side. On the north side the wall is 150 ft. long, and on this length the south wall has practically disappeared.

At the down side of this length the passage becomes far better defined, having side walls from 3 ft. to 5 ft. high, and 3 ft. wide on their summits. The passage here takes a sharp turn towards the north for 50 ft., then to the south-west for 25 ft., and again to the north for almost 100 ft., the side walls being intact for this length, the east wall being from 4 ft. to 7 ft. high, and the passage 2 ft. 6 in. wide. This is the best-preserved portion of the lower half of the Ascent. The west side walls are from 3 ft. to 4 ft. high. Between these walls are traces of steps, also a few buttresses, all rounded.

At the end of this length the passage is continued between walls 4 ft. high to its extremity, before reaching which it takes some sharp W-shaped turns and terminates in very well-built walls.

The Water Gate faces this point at 100 ft. distance, only at a lower level of some 30 ft. to 40 ft. The side of the hill is here very steep, and is faced in parts with granite glacis, between which the path descended to the Water Gate. Converging on the extremity of the passage are traces of other passages from each side, which give the impression that the North-West Ascent was the main approach to the summit of the Acropolis from this side of the hill.