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.