Plan of
EASTERN TEMPLE
Acropolis, Zimbabwe
So obviously noticeable is the beam of light at midday that as the sun quickly passed the end of the long and narrow rock passage the natives working for the writer fixed their noon “Tjiya!” (“Cease work!”) by it, and this they did on their own initiative.
Another feature may be noticed. A small circle of sunlight, about 2 ft. diameter, crosses the floor of the temple in a course equal to about a fifth part of the radius of a circle from the entrance to the Balcony Enclosure across the floor where Bent fixes the site of the ancient altar and passes over the eastern wall. This must have been observed by the ancients, for it is caused by a small opening between two boulders which they have utilised in “forming” the Ancient Balcony. At 3 p.m. this circle of light in the sunless interior, on the same day, rested on the spot at which, according to Bent, the ancient altar stood.
On Midsummer Day, 1903, the whole temple area was flooded with sunlight at noontide.
These particulars are given merely as matters of interest to the general reader, and scientists are referred to The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland, by Bent, for his calculations as to the orientation of this temple. Bent has given his opinion, based upon survey, that this temple was used for observing the summer solstice.
Two points, however, which may bear upon the orientation of this building and its use in the observation of sunrise and meridian may be noticed.
(a) No other temple which has been surveyed by scientists for the purpose of ascertaining its orientation, whether at Zimbabwe or elsewhere in Rhodesia, was so plentifully adorned with monoliths of carved slate or soapstone as was this temple, no less than thirty fallen monoliths, and the fractured portions of many others, having been found at the bases of the walls both inside and outside, while the débris heaps, which have only been very partially searched, must yet contain other specimens. No other temple, so far discovered, had such a profusion of geometrically carved soapstone beams as were unearthed by Bent and by other explorers before him. This would appear to still further testify to the importance the ancients attached to the decoration of this temple, whether used for observing the seasons of the year and astronomical occurrences or not.
(b) The position of the Dentelle Pattern in two courses on the eastern face of the summit of the main wall is fixed on exactly the same plan as is shown in so many other ruins of temple buildings in Rhodesia (and the discovery of the ancient emblems of faith have so far only been made in buildings so decorated, on identical positions, with one of the three oldest patterns, namely, Dentelle, Chevron, or Herring-bone), and as this is so unmistakably seen in the case of numerous other ruins of similar buildings, the position of the pattern in this instance can hardly be a mere coincidence.
The Dentelle Pattern, which forms a distinguishing feature at the Zimbabwe ruins both on the hill and in the valley, and which is only found in First Period buildings, is, in this instance, believed to have originally extended some 30 ft. further towards the south-west, as a trace of it still remains on the highest remaining portion of the 39 ft. length of the main wall. The pattern throughout the 24 ft. length of main wall is somewhat damaged at several points, and the rows of stones which in all instances elsewhere covered this pattern have almost disappeared.
The interior measurements of this temple are as follows: 59 ft. 6 in. from north to south, the northern point for measurement being the large roughly built step at the south end of the North Passage; 66 ft. from south-east to north-west, the north-west point for measurement being the step at the bottom of the stairs leading from the temple to Balcony Enclosure; and 50 ft. from west-south-west to north-north-east.