A remarkable discovery was made here of distinct traces of granite cement dadoes, 7 ft. high, round the interior faces of the walls of this enclosure. In some other enclosures the remains of dadoes can still be seen.
The small conical tower in this enclosure has during the last ten years been seriously damaged by the large trunk of a tree pushing over the summit of the cone. Photographs of this small tower taken in 1891 show that it was then almost intact.
PLATFORM AREA
This open area, lying to the west and north of the Conical Tower and the Platform, corresponds to the open areas immediately in front of the altars in old Grecian temples. This was Mr. Bent’s opinion, and possibly it answered at Zimbabwe a similar purpose of accommodating the worshippers. The area, some 120 ft. by 60 ft., has been cleared out of large trees, and of about 6 ft. of soil throughout, and floors—both cement and clay—were disclosed, also a fine circular structure of excellent granite cement, and ascended by two steps. On and close to this structure were found fragments, mainly bases, of carved soapstone beams of slender appearance, also some phalli and gold. This platform lies slightly off the north line between the Conical Tower and the Main North Entrance.
Some of the walls surrounding this area on the west and north sides, once considered to be ancient, can now be seen to cross over very old native clay huts and native copper and iron-smelting furnaces. The soil contained some phalli, which had been converted by the natives into amulets, also some Arabian glass—thirteenth and fourteenth centuries—Venetian beads, gold wire-work, beaten gold, gold scorifiers of native pottery, iron pincers, and fragments of carved soapstone bowls with geometric designs.
ENCLOSURES 6, 7, AND 10
Gold-smelting operations must have, at some late period, been extensively carried on in these enclosures, for on removing from each enclosure all débris and fallen stones to a depth of from 4 ft. to 7 ft., there were found burnishing stones of fine grain and still covered with gold, gold scorifiers with gold in the flux, cakes of gold, gold furnace slag, beaten gold, and gold dust.
At a still lower depth in No. 6 Enclosure a quantity of granite clay crucibles, showing gold richly, were met with, and these are undoubtedly of older type than the native pottery scorifiers, also some ingot moulds of soapstone of the double claw-hammer or St. Andrew’s cross pattern.
CENTRAL AREA
This area is only partially excavated, it being covered with old native-built walls which cross over bone and ash débris, old native huts, an iron furnace, and rich black mould in which the vegetable matter was still undecayed. Experimental holes and boring-rods showed that some very old foundations ran below the soil upon which the later and poorer walls are built. However, a key has now been found which will enable further excavations to be made within this area without injury to the upper walls.