This is situated one mile and a quarter east of Havilah Camp, and is the most easterly ruin of the Zimbabwe group. It stands upon a low ledge on the west side of the Beroma Range, and is a quarter of a mile west of Chenga’s kraal, and directly overlooks the Mapudzi stream, which flows at about 60 ft. immediately below the west face of the ruin. The position is strategetic and affords a view over several valleys. The area covered by walls and stone débris is fully an acre and a half, but the actual walls now standing in any recognisable form of plan only cover 100 ft. by 80 ft.
A cluster of large boulders has been utilised, and over these and between them the walls have been erected, the interior being filled up with earth almost up to the summits of the walls by some later occupiers. On clearing this foreign soil from the interior faces of the walls, two buried entrances, both rounded, were discovered, and it was then possible to prepare a plan of such of the walls as were so cleared. Nothing of any antique value was found during these operations, all the “finds,” which were not numerous, being of old native articles.
All the walls are curved, and all buttresses, entrances, and ends of walls are rounded, and have a distinct batter-back. The granite blocks in some portions of the walls are as regular in size and shape as those to be seen in the Elliptical Temple, but the construction is not of the best. The outer faces of the walls have been first raised, and the internal portions afterwards filled in with stones of all sizes and shapes, but larger than those seen in the filling-in of the interiors of many of the walls at Khami Ruins. The courses at some points are very regular, but at others there has been no attempt at making any courses. The column style of building adopted by old Makalanga and Barotse is present in parts. The walls average about 4 ft. in width at base and 3 ft. on present reduced summit. There is no mural decorative work introduced.
Sketch Plan
RUIN near CHENGA’S KRAAL
(Zimbabwe)
The natives state that this ruin was not built by the same people that built the rough walls of the minor ruins at Zimbabwe, their theory being that it was erected by Barotse very many generations ago, and on this point they are very emphatic. The translations of the native expressions for relics are “pretty stone” and “money.” In starting work here, the labourers, who receive small rewards for discovering relics, grumbled considerably, and informed the author that it was useless to work there, as no “pretty stones” or “money” would be found there. Similar remarks were made about other small ruins, and in every case they have been proved to be correct. Whether this ruin has actually any claim to antiquity is a matter which, at present, it would be unsafe to dogmatise upon.
CHENGA’S AND MADAVID PATH RUINS
These ruins are in a valley which runs north and south on the Beroma Range at one mile distance south-east of Chenga’s kraal, and lie a few yards to the west of the native path leading from Chenga’s to Madavid’s kraal. Madavid is the native name for David, a Basuto, who lives near.
The area covered is fully a third of an acre on the summit of a knoll, which rises some 30 ft. above the valley. Traces of walls covering an area of an acre and a half are to be seen on the south, west, and north sides. Large granite boulders have been utilised in the construction, the walls being carried in curved lines from boulder to boulder, enclosing a rudely drawn circular area 51 ft. from east to west, and 42 ft. from north to south. In one instance the wall is carried over a boulder.
The faces of the walls show good workmanship, the courses being fairly even, the joints uniformly distributed, and the blocks regular in size. The bases of the walls average from 4 ft. to 5 ft. in width, while the very reduced summits are 3 ft. 6 in. wide at 5 ft. from the ground. The walls display a carefulness in construction which is absent from some of the divisional walls of the main ruins at Zimbabwe. The side walls of the entrance on the east side of the building are most perfectly rounded. There is no mural decoration. The interior of the building is of earth, which contains Kafir pottery, etc. No exploration work has been done here.