North-West Ancient Ascent—Water Gate Ruins—Terraced Enclosures on North-West Face of Zimbabwe Hill—South Terrace—Ruins on South Face of Zimbabwe Hill—Outspan Ruins.
NORTH-WEST ANCIENT ASCENT
UNFORTUNATELY in describing this ascent it is necessary to commence at the summit and work downwards instead of upwards. The amount of débris which covered its lower lengths precluded the tracing of the ascent from below, and further it is only the higher lengths which have been cleared out, though now the lower parts can be easily followed.
The ascent begins at the Water Gate at the north-west base of the hill, and terminates at The Platform which overlooks the Eastern Temple on the Acropolis. Its total length is a little more than 500 ft.
Walking across the north-west face of the hill it would have been impossible to discover this ascent owing to the confusing number of lines of foundations and outcrops of walls running in all directions over the side of the hill, and the intermediate ground being so much covered with blocks. The idea that this ascent existed along its present lines was suggested by viewing the face of the hill from Mogabe’s kraal, which is on the opposite side of the north-west valley. From this point the step-like form of the side of the hill can be seen as a whole, and it appears obvious that artificial means had been employed in making the lines of projection on the side of the hill. These were subsequently examined, with the result that sections of a passage-way downwards were found in one chain extending from the summit to the base of the hill, though there were some long gaps between the sections, while the sections themselves were filled in up to where the side walls out-cropped for a few inches.
The sections of this ancient ascent, commencing at the summit, are as follows:—
(a) Passage through Platform Enclosure 72 ft. long (see Platform Enclosure).
(b) Passage through main wall 16 ft. long (do.).
(c) Passage along Northern Parapet 28 ft. long (see Northern Parapet).
(d) Section of ascent between Northern Parapet and the old visitors’ path which the ascent crosses 233 ft. long.