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

PATTERN PASSAGE

This passage runs for 51 ft. along the outside of the south and south-west portion of the curved main wall of the Eastern Temple. In the south-west portion the passage is 2 ft. wide, and formerly its floor throughout this section was level with that of the present floor of Recess Enclosure, but a large boulder at the west entrance to the Eastern Temple having slipped and disturbed the entrance walls, steps have recently been erected to enable visitors to climb over the débris heap.

EAST ENTRANCE TO PATTERN PASSAGE, ACROPOLIS

PATTERN PASSAGE, LOOKING EAST, ACROPOLIS

On the west side of the northern length of the passage the wall is 11 ft. high, the upper portion receding from the passage at 8 ft. above the level of the floor at the foot of the newly-erected steps, and in the recess so formed is what appears to be a decorative pattern of original form made of rows of blocks, each row at the back of the other, and rising backwards in miniature steps or shelves. But these rows are not believed to have been intended or used as steps, as the lines of blocks on either side round off to come flush with the face of the wall and become part of the wall at each end, and are continued as ordinary courses in the faces of the wall. The exact correctness of these step-like rows and curves of blocks is remarkable. For the present, and until the purpose of these steps can be ascertained, this feature is called Step Pattern. It has been suggested that these steps must have formed a post for a guard to protect the Western Entrance to the temple.

The wall opposite the approach to Pattern Passage from Recess Enclosure is 8 ft. high, and rises to 17 ft., as the floor of the southern section of the passage descends somewhat sharply. The southern section terminates at the rounded end of the east wall of Recess Enclosure, which here is rather a fine piece of dry masonry. Formerly this section had steps let into the wall on either side, fragments of such stones still projecting from the walls, the foundations of which have been laid bare, and at one point undermined. This vandalism is not the work of archæologists, but of unauthorised prospectors for gold relics, who have torn up the whole length of stairs and pavement, not only in this passage, but in every other passage on the hill which was not protected by being filled in with wall débris.

RECESS ENCLOSURE[61]

This is an almost complete enclosure on the south side of the Eastern Temple, and separated from it by a deep and narrow passage, now known as Pattern Passage. Formerly a passage-way ran along the west side of the enclosure from north to south. The area of this enclosure is—south side, 17 ft. 6 in., north side 18 ft., west side 25 ft., and east side 20 ft. The surface shows signs of the enclosure having been filled in above its original floor by some later occupiers. The south wall has collapsed except for about 4 ft. at its west end, and this section is 8 ft. high, but the foundations of the rest of this wall are practically intact. The north wall is considerably broken, its highest point being now only 5 ft. above the present floor. The west wall, which is intact, is formed by the outer wall of a building erected at a much higher level, called South Enclosure C. This wall is 22 ft. high, and is in two parts—the upper part being rounded outwards at the extremities, and the centre rounded inwards. This wall is exceedingly well built, and is one of the finest pieces of masonry to be seen on the Acropolis, and shows very great architectural skill on the part of the ancient builders.

The south wall is now only 8 ft. to 9 ft., and on the inside face has a row of five vertical recesses built in the wall and flush with its face. These are altogether unlike anything yet discovered in any ancient ruins,[62] except, perhaps, at No. 1 Ruin at Khami. The widths of the faces of the wall between the recesses from north to south are 2 ft. 4 in., 1 ft. 9 in., 1 ft. 10 in., 1 ft. 7 in., and 1 ft. 8 in., and these are separated from each other by perpendicular crevices, each 5 in. wide. Most probably the recesses were once considerably higher. What practical purpose they could have served is at present impossible to state, but it has always been held that they probably once contained wooden beams.

WEST WALL, RECESS ENCLOSURE, ACROPOLIS

THE RECESSES, RECESS ENCLOSURE, ACROPOLIS

The north-west entrance has rounded walls, and from the east side of this entrance are the remains of a passage wall running south. This wall is 6 ft. long, 2 ft. 6 in. high, and 2 ft. 6 in. wide; the foundations of this wall run almost as far as the south wall of the enclosure.

All the walls of this enclosure are well built.

In the north-east corner is an excavated hole, showing a wall running parallel to the east wall at a depth lower than the present floor of the enclosure. The north end of the east wall is beautifully rounded and tapers from its base to present summit, its face forming the south side of the east end of Pattern Passage.