The view from East Ruins towards the east is most extensive and picturesque, for the land slopes on that side for over two miles towards the Beroma Range and the valley of the Motelekwe, while in the hollow are the Chipo-popo and Mapudzi rivers. Opposite are the peculiar and romantic columns of granite near Chenga’s kraal.
For the purposes of defence these ruins are ideally situated. On the south side they are protected by a steep declivity of some 40 ft. into the valley, and down this the original builders and later occupiers have shot their débris in great quantities. The space between the ruin and the declivity, some 25 yds. in width and 100 ft. in length, is covered with short lengths of walls and wall débris.
Sketch Plan
EAST RUINS
Motelekwe Road
Great Zimbabwe
The area covered by these ruins is 140 ft. from north to south, and 93 ft. from east to west. It is most probable that on the south and east sides there were other enclosures.
The walls on the north, west, and south are fairly well built and massive, and are still some 8 ft. to 10 ft. in height, and average 3 ft. 6 in. to 4 ft. width of summit at those heights. The walls on the south-east and east average a height of from 4 ft. to 7 ft., while the divisional walls which remain have a reduced height of 4 ft. and 5 ft., and these latter are also substantially constructed.
There are four well-defined enclosures, the two on the west side being the most perfect. The northern enclosure had once been subdivided into at least six separate compartments.
Both in plan and construction these ruins excel most of the minor ruins, including No. 1 Ruins, and many walls on the Acropolis. The curved lines of the walls on the northern and southern sides are bold and striking, and well and exactly carried out. Their solidity is very noticeable, especially on both outer and inner faces. Not only are the courses in these walls fairly even, but the blocks are well-sized and are of a good quality of granite. In some portions of the walls the workmanship is of an inferior character.
But, whatever the style of construction may be, the faces of the walls are beautifully even from base to summit and also lengthways, for placing one’s eye close up against the wall and glancing along an area of wall-face, there is hardly to be seen half an inch of front of block protruding in front of its neighbours. This, of course, does not apply to the batter-back, which is only that of an average wall at Zimbabwe. The impression gained on viewing these massive walls, which occupy such an excellently strategetic position, is that the original builders intended the building to be used for some important purpose.
The northern enclosure is 60 ft. from north to south, and 67 ft. from east to west. The south-west enclosure is 61 ft. from north to south, and 51 ft. from east to west. The eastern enclosure is 55 ft. from north to south, and 22 ft. from east to west. The south-eastern enclosure, which is rather rudely constructed, and the walls of which are very considerably dilapidated, is 20 ft. from north to south, and 80 ft. from east to west.