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

At the end of this length the passage is continued between walls 4 ft. high to its extremity, before reaching which it takes some sharp W-shaped turns and terminates in very well-built walls.

The Water Gate faces this point at 100 ft. distance, only at a lower level of some 30 ft. to 40 ft. The side of the hill is here very steep, and is faced in parts with granite glacis, between which the path descended to the Water Gate. Converging on the extremity of the passage are traces of other passages from each side, which give the impression that the North-West Ascent was the main approach to the summit of the Acropolis from this side of the hill.

THE WATER GATE RUINS

This is situated at the lowest extremity of the North-West Ancient Ascent to the Acropolis, and forms its approach and entrance from the valley on the west and north sides of Zimbabwe Hill. It has been styled the Water Gate on account of there being immediately in front of it a large donga (water-hole), one of the chain of dongas which run round the hill from the south-west to the north-east, and are believed to be artificial, but have become reduced from the original area and depth by the silting in from the side of the hill during a very long period of sub-tropical rains. Sections of walls have been discovered at great depth in these dongas.

This entrance forms part of a long line of wall which runs round the base of the hill for some two or three hundred yards, and is called the Inner Defence Wall, in which on the south-west side of the hill is another large entrance, known as the Outspan Ruins. This line of wall is in some places very well defined, being from 2 ft. to 4 ft. above the level of the veld, but some lengths of it are mere lines of stone débris or ridges of mounds full of blocks; but seen from some heights up the face of the opposite hill it can be traced throughout its length.

The gateway is exceedingly well constructed, and the curves of the ends of the walls which form its sides are very bold and massive. Though it is distant over 900 ft. from the main ruins on the summit of the hill, it must be admitted to be a very good example of entrances of the earliest ancient period. But the construction of the wall on either side of this entrance, and at some little distance from it, becomes only fairly good, and at a still greater distance roughly built, and yet the entrance and the line of wall are of the same original plan. This grading off of the quality of construction on either side of the entrance and at some little distance from it is also seen in many other entrances which are not in proximity to the main ruins. The line of the Inner Defence Wall in which this entrance is inserted curves outwards towards the west-north-west from about 30 ft. on either side of it. The entrance is thus in the centre of the curve, and faces west-north-west. It is 2 ft. 10 in. wide, and 7 ft. from outside to inside. The side wall on the south is 7 ft. 6 in. high above the steps, and on the north 5 ft. 6 in., though on either side the present reduced summit of the wall is from 2 ft. to 4 ft. higher at a few feet from the entrance. Like all main entrances, save one, at Zimbabwe, it is without portcullis grooves, these having been found in rounded entrances in internal and divisional walls. The wall on the south side is 8 ft. wide on the floor of the entrance, and 7 ft. 6 in. on the north side. There are remains of three steps on the entrance which commence flush with the front faces of the two side walls. These are greatly dilapidated, but it can be seen that they form part of the foundations of the wall. One stone of what is left in the front row is considerably worn on the top, as if it had been trodden on for many generations.

As in very many entrances of the earliest style of ancient architecture—for instance, the main entrance to the Elliptical Temple—the walls on either side widen out as they approach the entrance. In this instance the walls widen out from 4 ft. and 5 ft. to 8 ft. as the entrance is neared. There are also traces of buttresses on either hand on the inner sides of the entrance, also of a few steps ascending into the interior of the enclosed area.

The front face of the wall on the north side is 5 ft. above the veld, but the summit increases in height towards the interior face of the wall, as most of the dilapidations have taken place on the outer side of the wall. The front face of the south wall is 7 ft. in height, and the summit of this wall ascends much higher towards its inner face. At 12 ft. from the entrance, along the face of the south wall, it is clearly seen where the excellent workmanship of the entrance grades off to an inferior construction in the continuation of the wall southwards. The line of wall on the south side is more or less intact for 48 ft., at which point it becomes lost in débris and silted soil, though its line of route can of course be traced much further. The wall on the north side extends for 90 ft., but from this point northward it is very easy to follow the course of its débris.

The interior faces of the wall, for about 30 ft. on either side of the entrance, are still in a good condition, and are from 4 ft. to 7 ft. above the inside cleared-out level.

On the inner face of the south wall, at 5 ft. above the present level of the enclosed area, is a herring-bone pattern which directly faces east-south-east. The pattern remaining is 3 ft. 6 in. long, and 1 ft. 2 in. deep, and is formed of tile-like blocks, varying from 10 in. to 1 ft. 3 in. in length. Judging by the positions of the stones, it is highly probable that this pattern extends at least 2 ft. further towards the entrance. The usual frame for this pattern, and also for Dentelle and Chevron Patterns, is still good for three courses at its south end. The size of the stones employed in this pattern is above the average size used for the same pattern in other ruins, and is somewhat larger than those in the pattern at Little Umnukwana Ruins, in the M’Pateni district, where the average length of the stones is 10 in. So far this is the only herring-bone pattern discovered at Zimbabwe. It was first noticed by Mr. J. W. Clarke, of Victoria, in September, 1902.