The most perfect enclosure is on the inner side of the north-east, immediately west of the E.N.E entrance. This was entirely filled in with soil and blocks up to the tops of the walls, which are 7 ft. and 8 ft. high. All this filling-in has now been removed (March, 1903), and a conical tower, which had been completely buried, was discovered. The area is formed on the north-east side by the inner face of the main wall, which is 7 ft. high and 11 ft. long, on the east side by a wall 7 ft. high and 9 ft. long, and on the west side it averages from 2 in. to 4 in. in thickness. Its faces are usually smoothed and the tops are rounded off inwards.
Native huts.—There are the remains of seven old native huts in this section of the ruins. These are identical with No. 3 huts described in “Makalanga huts within ancient ruins,” see “Notes on Architecture.” They are built about 2 ft. and 3 ft. above the ancient cement floors. Two are built across gaps in divisional walls, and one partially covers a portion of the gap in the north-west main wall, which, had it been intact, would not have enabled the builders of the hut to find room for the erection of their dwelling.
POSSELT RUINS. SECTION B
This lies to the west of Section A of the Posselt Ruins, which it immediately adjoins on its south-west side and practically forms part of the same ruins.
Its area is 110 ft. from east to west, and 75 ft. from north to south, and is oval in plan. The construction of the walls is excellent, and this section appears to be one of the earliest period ruins. Its central portion has been filled in, and some of the walls dividing off the enclosures are still buried beneath the débris. There are no signs of native occupation of the interior of the ruins, but on the outside of the building are the circular ruins of old native huts and débris consisting mostly of ashes, bones, and pottery.
Only the three enclosures at the west end have been cleared out to their old floors, but nothing was found of any antique character.
Walls.—The outer walls are massive and show excellent construction, and average in height between 5 ft. and 10 ft., their width being 6 ft. at 5 ft. above the ground. The inner walls are also massive and are fairly well built, being 5 ft. wide at 4 ft. above the ground. There is a narrow and low divisional wall of poor construction cutting off the north-east portion of these ruins, and this most probably is of later date.
Entrances.—There are only two entrances through the main or outer walls. The one on the north-east side is 2 ft. 6 in. wide, and has very massive walls, which are rounded, and all exceptionally well constructed. There is a pair of rounded buttresses immediately inside, and these have portcullis grooves. The foundation of the main wall forms the floor of the entrance passage.
The south entrance is 4 ft. wide, and is built upon the foundation of the main south wall. It is narrowed to 2 ft. by two rounded buttresses, and these have portcullis grooves.
“Sentry-box.”—This class of structure has been popularly termed “sentry-box.” In the angle at the north-east corner is a rounded wall with a narrow opening into the inside. This is situated close to the entrance leading into Section A, and its position suggests the idea that it was used as a sentry-box guarding the entrance. There are several of these structures at Zimbabwe, and they all occupy a similar position near entrances.