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

WEST PASSAGE

This passage lies on the west side of the interior of the temple, and is between Nos. 4 and 5 Enclosures on the west and No. 1 Enclosure and Central Area on the east. It runs north and south, and is formed on the west side by a massive and well-built wall, which is in the form of an arc; the length of the inside face of the wall being 65 ft., and that of the line drawn from extremity to extremity of the wall being 57 ft., and this passes at 8 ft. from the inner face at the centre of the curve westwards.

This large curved wall is independent of any other structure, and stands entirely by itself. It is clearly the best-constructed wall in the western half of the temple, and the excellent workmanship displayed in the regularity of the courses, the bold and well-executed curve, and its immense width, at once strike the attention of anyone who enters the temple at the western portal. Its width is 8 ft. at 6 ft. above the ground, and its height ranges from 6 ft. to 10 ft.

The position and character of this wall induced Bent to conjecture that this arc was one of the proofs that the entire temple was a “multiform temple,” such as are found in South-West Asia, and these “little temples ... were dedicated to the cult of particular stars.” Bent considered that the massive and well-built curved walls in Enclosures Nos. 7 and 15 were also employed for particular observations independently of the great temple itself. At the time Bent made this conjecture he was unaware that up against the centre of the inner face of this curved wall was a platform raised some 4 ft. above the level of the ground, and of the numerous relics of the older type found at and near it, or that there were originally three granite monoliths once standing parallel with, and at equal distance from, the west face of this wall. These discoveries have only just recently been made, as well as other corresponding discoveries in the other two enclosures which Bent took to be minor temples. Each of the monoliths is 29 ft. from the west face of the wall, and each is 9 ft. apart.

At its south end the passage is 10 ft. wide, at the north end it narrows to 4 ft., but at its centre it averages a width of 10 ft. to 12 ft.

The east side of the passage is formed for 49 ft. from the north end by the wall of No. 1 Enclosure, which here appears to be of poorer and later construction, also by a roughly built wall, 11 ft. long, with foundation some 4 ft. above the foundation of the wall of No. 1 Enclosure, and by a rounded buttress, 12 ft. length of facing and 7 ft. high, which has its foundation on the platform which overlooks the west curved wall.

The platform, which is of cement, once had retaining walls at two levels, and portions of these still remain.

NORTH-EAST PASSAGE[57]

This passage is on the north-east side of the temple and immediately outside the North Entrance, running north-east at right angles from the main wall between that entrance and [590 ft.]. Its total length is 360 ft., but there is some evidence that it once extended further towards the north-east for at least some hundred yards beyond the 360 ft. Only a portion of the 360 ft. length has at present been cleared of débris.

On the north-west side it is bounded by a well-built wall 4 ft. 6 in. high and 12 ft. long, at the north-east end of which is a large rounded buttress with portcullis groove. This buttress projects 3 ft. into the passage, and is 3 ft. 6 in. high. Probably another buttress containing a corresponding portcullis groove faced it on the opposite side of the passage.

The eastern side is bounded by the entrance to the Outer Parallel Passage and by the north wall of that passage, which curves round in front of the North Entrance to the temple, and runs at right angles to its former position. This wall, which is well built, is 7 ft. high, and forms the east side of the passage for some 35 ft., but at this point it is reduced to 3 ft. in height, and is carried on toward the north-east in a less carefully constructed style.

The widths of the passage and the heights of the side walls, measuring from the North Entrance to the temple, are as follows:—

		Heights.
	Width.	West side.	East side.
S. Extremity	12 ft.	4 ft. 6 in.	7 ft.
25 ft.	5 ft.	2 ft. 6 in.	6 ft.
35 ft.	2 ft. 10 in.	3 ft.	4 ft.
50 ft.	2 ft. 6 in.	3 ft.	3 ft.

Between 35 ft. and 50 ft. are remains of pavement.

This passage, with its length of 660 ft., is believed to have formed the chief line of communication between the Elliptical Temple and the Acropolis, seeing that it runs from the main entrance of the temple down into the valley at a point almost facing the lowest extremity of the South-East Ancient Ascent to the Acropolis.