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 situated at the most easterly part of Zimbabwe Hill Ruins, on the south side of the line of high cliffs and gigantic boulders which extend from the east to the west along the summit of the hill. The centre of the present surface of the interior of this temple is 222 ft. above the valley.

The main wall is built on a wide curve towards the east extending 98 ft. from the south face of the cliff on the north side round to the south side, thus disposing the area in a quarter section of a circle with the apex of the section at the north-north-west of the interior.

A cliff rising perpendicularly for 70 ft. from the floor of the temple forms the north side of the area, and the west side is formed by colossal boulders some 30 ft. to 50 ft. in height. The heights and the massiveness of the cliff and boulders lend a peculiar awe-inspiring appearance to this temple. These granite rocks, tapestried by Nature in all possible colours and shades of lichen, enclose two sides of the interior in the form of an amphitheatre, with the highest portion of the temple floor at the north end, the present surface gradually sloping down in a fall of 12 ft. towards the curved main and outer wall to its east and south-eastern points. On the highest part of this slope are two well-built retaining walls forming terraces behind them. These are described later.

This temple is considerably better built than is the Western Temple on this hill. The blocks in the walls are more carefully selected and fit together more perfectly, are of a better class of granite, and the courses are truer, while it would appear from the extent of purely artistic detail and finish introduced by the original builders that far greater skill was bestowed upon its construction than on that of the Western Temple.

Section of
EASTERN TEMPLE
Acropolis, Zimbabwe.

Both temples are built strictly upon the lines of the First Period of Zimbabwe architecture, all of the features of the Second Period being altogether absent. Certainly some of the cement work of the higher floors appears to be ancient, but not of the period of the original builders, and it is possible that the Second Period ancients occupied the buildings, and finding them in such excellent condition, had no need to make repairs or extensions to the walls as they did in so many scores of First Period ruins throughout the country. The floors of the original builders of this temple have been opened out by a trench and exposed at a minimum depth of 4 ft. below the latest floor.

Bent and other writers have stated that this temple is orientated to the rising of the sun, which can be seen on a level and fairly distant horizon. The temple obviously affords a splendid natural means for observing the meridian.

On midwinter day (1902), in the Southern Hemisphere, the sun rose facing the eastern end of the main wall, and shone on the line of Dentelle Pattern, and also for an hour afterwards shone on the inside of the south-western end of the wall, and also on that of the floor. At the end of that time, and until 10.30 a.m., the sun did not shine on the temple, but only on the inside face of the summit of the south-west end of the curved main wall, the sun being hidden by the 70-ft. cliff on the north side of the interior. At 11 a.m. it shone over the cliff on to the south-western side of the interior. Half an hour before midday the sun shone on the inside of the southern wall and on the south floor from over the cliff, and also in a single narrow bar across the floor of the building through the north entrance to the temple, which is formed by a long and narrow passage between the high cliffs and some gigantic boulders. The sun shone through this narrow opening till about half an hour after midday, when the sun had passed the face of this narrow entrance, and only shone on the south-west and north-west portions of the interior from over the Ancient Balcony, which is much lower than the cliff, till a little after one o’clock, the sun then ceasing to shine on the interior for the rest of the day. At the spot where the line from the point of sunrise at the summer solstice cuts the midday beam of light which comes through the cliff entrance on the north, is the site of the ancient altar as determined by Bent, the site being true south of the north passage. It was at this spot that Bent found the pottery and soapstone solar discs, the decorated and plain phalli, the soapstone birds, carved beams, and decorated bowls resembling Phœnician ware. The writer’s examination of this spot was rewarded by “finds” of carved soapstone in great quantities.