To reach the Western Temple on the hill from the South-East Ancient Ascent, the Western Enclosure must first be crossed, seeing that the Higher Parapet path is now become dangerous.

This enclosure lies on the west side of the main west wall of the Western Temple. The highest part of the enclosure—the east—is 212 ft., and the lowest—the west part—is 205 ft. above the valley. The main west wall of the Western Temple forms its easterly boundary for 71 ft., the other walls making the enclosure nearly square. The wall on the north side is 52 ft. long, 4 ft. to 6 ft. high, and 3 ft. to 4 ft. wide on present summit. The west wall is 81 ft. long, and similar in width and height. The south side, with no wall now remaining, is 61 ft. long, and at 4 ft. to 7 ft. below the south edge, on the outside of this enclosure, runs the Higher Parapet previously described.

None of these enclosing walls, except, of course, the main wall of the temple, are ancient. They are rudely built, or, rather, neatly piled. This is obviously Makalanga work of a generation or two past, and the Zimbabwe Makalanga admit this to be the case. But at several points the walls run on ancient foundations. These modern natives, in imitation of the monoliths on the temple wall above, have erected a slate monolith on their north wall, but upside down. Slate beams, evidently fallen from the wall above, have been used by the Makalanga as building material, as using them saved labour.

But there are strong evidences that the builders of the ruins themselves used this ground as an enclosure, and these in addition to the remains of the enclosing walls’ foundations. At a distance of 15 ft. in front of the main wall of the temple is a wall built in good style and, till recently, perfectly buried in soil. This portion of a wall runs from north-east to south-west for 7 ft. 6 in., and is 2 ft. 6 in. high, ending at each extremity abruptly, the south-west end showing a tendency to curve more to the south.

Also in the north-east corner and at the foot of the main wall of the temple, and at 7 ft. and 15 ft. respectively from it, there are very decided traces of terrace walls, with parapets descending into the interior of the enclosure. The probable purpose of these terraced walls is alluded to in the description of the Western Parapet, as this parapet runs through other enclosures described later.

The drop of 7 ft. towards the west in the level of the surface of this enclosure rather tends to support the theory advanced by Messrs. Bent and Swan that the main west wall of the Western Temple once stood some yards more to the west of the present west main wall. This theory is at present somewhat difficult to accept, for the existing wall is the widest wall yet known in any ruin in Rhodesia, not excepting the huge main walls of the Elliptical Temple in the valley. This main wall of the Western Temple is 11 ft. wide on its summit at 18 ft. above the ground. Still there are other points, mentioned later in connection with the Western Temple, which would seem to support Messrs. Bent and Swan’s theory.

Passing from the Ascent, along the south side of this enclosure, climbing the wall débris in front, and passing through a gap in the dilapidated part of the main wall directly opposite, one enters the Western Temple at its south-west corner.

CHAPTER XV
THE ACROPOLIS RUINS
(Continued)

The Western Temple