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

THIS temple is the most westerly portion of the main ruins on Zimbabwe Hill, and is built upon the steep edge of the western side of the kopje at 220 ft. above the valley and also immediately on the summit of the precipice, some 90 ft. in height, which runs along the south face of the hill. A splendid view of the Elliptical Temple in the valley, as well as of the many ruins within the Zimbabwe Reserve, is obtainable from this point.

The Western Temple has the form of an amphitheatre, its area being in the shape of a little less than a quarter of a circle, the centre from which the south and north walls radiate being at its most easterly point and 122 ft. from the centre of the inner face of the massive main west wall which curves with a magnificently bold and perfect sweep towards due west, connects the north and south walls at their westerly extremities, and runs for 137 ft. on its inner face from south-west to north-west.

This curved west wall is the most massive structure so far discovered in any ancient ruin in Rhodesia, though it is not the longest. It has a width of summit at 25 ft. from the ground of 14 ft. 6 in., the general average width being 11 ft., and is still liberally decorated with huge granite and slate monoliths and a row of small conical towers which are now more or less imperfect.

The lengths of the walls along their inner faces are as follows: north wall, 90 ft.; south wall, with gaps, 127 ft.; and the curved west wall, 137 ft.

The present surface of the area is very irregular owing to the soil and wall débris having been piled up at several points by excavators whose trenches and digging are still to be seen. Disregarding these piles the highest part of the area is at its eastern end, the lowest being at the inside base of the west wall.

North wall.—This wall may be divided into several lengths from east to north. The 22 ft. length from the east reaches to The Platform Cave. This length of wall supports The Platform on its south-west side. Here the wall is 12 ft. high, measuring from the present surface of the temple, which is, so far as can be ascertained, some 3 ft. to 5 ft. above the highest and latest ancient floor. Towards the 15 ft. point the wall is carried over a huge boulder 11 ft. high, also over a smaller boulder partly resting on the first boulder and partly against another boulder, which forms part of the north side of The Platform Cave, along which boulders the height of the wall is 11 ft. over the large boulder, and 6 ft. over the smaller and higher one, but including the height of a rounded end of wall on The Platform above which is built upon this wall, the height of the wall above the smaller boulder is 11 ft.

The 14 ft. length of this wall clears the entrance to The Platform Cave and the steps, now dilapidated, leading from the floor of the temple to the upper flight of steps to The Platform. In addition to these steps on the west side of the cave, there was once a wall on the summit of the boulder up which the steps ran, but the boulder is now bare save for a small cap of red daga (clay) which once formed the foundation of a small Makalanga granary, such positions being usually selected on account of their freedom from white ants.

The 28 ft. length is built upon and along the top of a long boulder. This wall on its inner face is in good condition, but its back part which forms a portion of the south wall of the Platform Enclosure is very dilapidated. The heights of this wall are 7 ft. 6 in., 10 ft., and 5 ft. at three different points going north-west. The last 7 ft. of this length is a gap, the foundations only remaining.

The 26 ft. length of this wall extends from the gap to the inside of the north end of the main west wall, where it acts as the south side of the west extremity of the deep passage recently unburied which runs down the centre of the Platform Enclosure. It is 5 ft. to 6 ft. high on the temple side. This 26 ft. length of wall has been very seriously damaged by roots of large trees.

The widths of the summits of the north wall range between 3 ft. 6 in. and 5 ft., but as The Platform ends where the west end of The Platform comes flush to the temple face of the wall, it is difficult to state any width, but still it must be exceptionally wide to carry the wall which here rises to 18 ft. from the present filled-in level of the centre of the temple.