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

Sketch Plan
MAUND RUINS
“Valley of Ruins”
(Lower Section)

There is only one entrance, so far discovered, through the main wall, and this faces north. It is massive and well built, and opens into a vestibule enclosure 15 ft. long, 9 ft. wide, and 5 ft. and 7 ft. in height. The side walls of the entrance are 5 ft. high, the width of the main wall is 6 ft. 6 in., the width of the passage 3 ft., but narrowed on the inside to less than 2 ft. by two rounded buttresses with portcullis grooves, the south one of which has almost disappeared.

The east end of the south wall of the vestibule enclosure is one of two beautifully rounded ends of walls before referred to. The symmetry of the batter-back is perfect. This wall is 7 ft. high, 5 ft. wide at base, and 3 ft. 10 in. at summit. The vestibule has a granite cement floor. At the east end of the vestibule is one large rounded buttress with portcullis grooves. The corresponding buttress on the south-west side is much ruined.

ROUNDED END OF WALL OF WEST SIDE OF MAUND RUINS, SHEWING STEPS TO PLATFORM, VALLEY OF RUINS

NORTH-EAST WALL, MAUND RUINS, VALLEY OF RUINS

On the west side of the ruins, and immediately west of the west wall of the vestibule wall, and built from wall to wall in the angle of the main and vestibule wall, is a raised platform 6 ft. high approached by four rows of stone steps once covered with granite cement. This structure is apparently different in purpose and construction from the “blind steps” found in some of the ruins at Great Zimbabwe, for in this instance the platform must have afforded a good position for seeing over the outer wall, and also for watching the entrance which it overlooks.

A similar structure is to be found on the east side of these ruins. This also is an excellent piece of workmanship. The steps in this instance lead from the west side of the base of the wall to its summit, and were once covered with granite cement, portions of which still remain. The wall is 8 ft. high, and its north end is beautifully rounded. It is 4 ft. 6 in. wide at its base, and 3 ft. wide on the summit. The north or rounded end of the wall, at 6 ft. above the ground, turns on each side towards the centre of the summit, forming a small round tower 2 ft. high. There are four steps, but it is possible that other steps were in between each of the steps now seen. The summit of the steps faces due east. This wall is not an outer wall.