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 passage is 80 ft. long from the foot of the Winding Stairs to the north side of South Enclosure C. At the foot of the Winding Stairs the passage-way turns east, the north side for 13 ft. being a large rounded buttress 6 ft. high. On the south side at this point is the eastern end of the Covered Passage leading up from the floor of the Western Temple, and a few feet further east is the northern entrance to the Upper Passage.

BOTTOM OF WINDING STAIRS, WESTERN TEMPLE, ACROPOLIS

WEST ENTRANCE TO SOUTH CAVE, ACROPOLIS

From the 14 ft. length to the 31 ft. length of the passage going east are remains—only very ruined—of cement steps descending to a lower level. On the south side of this passage are South Enclosure A, South Passage, and South Enclosures B and C. The north side is formed by high, cliff-like boulders. The Buttress Passage starts north at the north side of the 51 ft. length going east. At the entrance to Buttress Passage a tree has lifted up a granite block 6 ft. from the ground. It is firmly fixed in the bark of the tree.

BUTTRESS PASSAGE

This passage runs north and south for 39 ft. between two gigantic cliff-boulders on the summit of the hill. This passage connected the enclosures on the north and south sides of the cliff. The rocks on either side of the passage at its bottom and south end are 50 ft. high on the east side, and 35 ft. high on the west side, and at the upper or north end are from 15 ft. to 20 ft. high. The path ascends throughout its length, and its upper end is 14 ft. above the lower end. The width between the rocks varies from 4 ft. to 6 ft., but the top exit of the path goes between rocks only 3 ft. apart.

The floor between the two cliffs is artificially made, and near the summit it has crowned in, and this crowning-in now bars the ascent to the Cleft Rock Enclosure, to which it formed an entrance from the south.

The passage has been considerably narrowed by buttresses alternating on either side, these making the passage a true zigzag. The first buttress at the south end and on the west side is much reduced in height, being now but 1 ft. 6 in. This buttress is angular, and protrudes 2 ft. On the east side is a long rounded buttress, which leaves the passage 2 ft. wide between it and the first buttress. This second buttress is 4 ft. high, 7 ft. long, and protrudes 4 ft., the width of the passage between it and the opposite cliff being 1 ft. 3 in. The third buttress is 17 ft. from the south end of the passage; it is angular, and projects from the west side 2 ft., and is now only 2 ft. 6 in. high. The fourth buttress is angular on the bottom side and rounded on the top side. This projects 3 ft. 6 in. from the west side, and is 5 ft. high. Between the third and fourth buttresses the passage is 2 ft. wide. Above the fourth buttress the floor has crowned in, and on the upper side of the crowning-in is a wall 5 ft. high built across the passage. Judging by block débris, this wall, the summit of which is level with the floor of the Cleft Rock Enclosure, was once surmounted by steps.