(e) In the lower section of these ruins there are fewer signs of modern or even of very old Makalanga clay huts, such as are fully described in “Native huts found in ruins.” No modern articles were found here. The consequence is there has been in this lower group of ruins very little artificial filling-up of the enclosures, and the ruins are more open and are easier of examination than most of the other ruins at Zimbabwe. But being on lower ground, with a huge bank of granite and soil on the south-western flank, there has been a considerable amount of soil silted into the ruins during the course of hundreds of years, but not to any great depth. The filling-in, both natural, is no more than about 2 ft., as compared with 5 ft. and 7 ft. in other ruins elsewhere where there are abundant signs of native occupation.
LOWER SECTION OF THE “VALLEY OF RUINS”
POSSELT RUINS
These ruins are the most westerly of the lower section of The Valley of Ruins. They consist of two almost oval-shaped buildings adjoining each other, and for the purposes of this description are marked A and B respectively on the plan. This set of ruins lies at the north-east extremity of the North-East Passage leading from the Elliptical Temple.
A is 175 ft. long from north to south, and 91 ft. from east to west. B lies at almost right angles to A on its south-west side, and is 110 ft. from east to west, and 75 ft. from north to south.
The interesting points concerning the Posselt Ruins are:—
(1) The discovery of beaten gold and of the older class of relics.
(2) Two entrances with unworked soapstone beams used as lintels in portcullis grooves.
(3) Complicated entrances; a small conical tower; cement dadoes; a parallel passage; circular and semi-circular buttresses; only slight artificial filling-in of interior; some evidence of occupation by old or modern natives.
(4) Massive character of walls originally averaging at least 15 ft. in height; excellent construction, main walls being superior to many divisional walls in the Elliptical Temple and to most of the walls on the Acropolis; the overwhelming predominance of the rounded style of architecture.