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

Methuen & Co.

THE ELLIPTICAL TEMPLE
Great Zimbabwe

But this temple does not stand alone in showing its main wall massive and exceptionally well built at one point of its circumference and slighter built on the other part. This feature is common to many ruins in Rhodesia, excepting, of course, ruins of forts and those ruins built upon the angular plan and terraced. Bent was fully aware of this feature, and cites instances of its occurrence. Mr. Swan does the same, and so does Schlichter. At some time or another before the north-west and west wall was built that portion of the original wall had become dilapidated, and the temple had become “half-moon,” “section of a circle,” or “crescent” shaped, these being the terms applied by all writers, without exception, to such of the circular ruins in the First Period Ruins’ Area,[48] where portions of the main wall had fallen down. The published plans of ruins demonstrate this fact. Probably Zimbabwe will again become a “section of a circle,” for it stands to reason that the weaker wall will be the first portion to disappear.

The massive and well-built portions of the ruins, built upon a system of curves, almost always bear the mural pattern of the oldest types, while the slighter portions are without pattern. It is so at Marib, it is so at Zimbabwe, and it is so in some score of ruins built upon the same principles, as shown in the Elliptical Temple. This has been found to be so invariable a rule that on sighting a building of this class of ruin even at some distance one can almost fix the position of the pattern, that is, if the wall is not so reduced in height that the decoration, if originally any, has not disappeared. Assuming no principle of orientation to attach to such ruins, there yet remains something to be done in explaining the directions of the massive curved and decorated walls of the circular ruins, for the existence of so many scores of parallelisms can hardly be explained away as being but so many coincidences.

It has now (June, 1903) for the first time been shown by ocular demonstration that the slighter wall, though ancient, is a reconstruction of a still more ancient wall which curved outwards more to the north and north-west. Recently some thirty tons of granite blocks which lay in the gap on either side of it were removed, and the foundations at this spot uncovered, showing the meeting in a mis-joint at an oblique angle of two distinct walls, the foundations of the massive north wall being 9 ft. 10 in. wide, and that of the later wall 6 ft. wide, while the class of building in the two walls is obviously distinct. The face of the end of the north wall was extended further outwards towards N.W. 40 ft., and the line of its foundation, according to its curve, points in that direction, where, it is believed, the old extended foundation has been come upon at 36 ft. outside the later wall. The slighter wall approaches the massive wall from W. 80. The bases of the foundations are practically on the same level.

Though the later wall is not so well constructed as the older wall, it must not be taken as poorly built. (See “Construction of main wall,” later.)

The wonderful feature is that no joint in the wall has so far been discovered in its south-west portion. Practical builders who have examined the wall on this side for such a joint are perplexed at not being able to discover it, and some consider, from certain circumstances noticeable, that it must have been at the West Entrances where this later wall was commenced, in which case no such joint would in all probability be found.

CONSTRUCTION

The construction of the main wall from the north to the east, and round to the south and south-west, is admittedly by far the finest specimen of ancient constructive work yet found in Rhodesia; it has consequently been made the standard by which the best-known writers and greatest authorities judge of the quality of the work shown in other walls in the country. Certainly two large and important ruins in the Lower Sabi Valley, which are much larger in area but with lower walls than Zimbabwe, closely rival the Great Zimbabwe in construction and boldness of design. But with regard to the more massive and highest portion of the main wall every practical builder who visits Zimbabwe is amazed at the equal distribution of the joints, the conscientious bonding of the outer courses, the good quality of stone selected, the careful dressing and the regularity of the sizes of the blocks, the neat packing throughout the whole width of the wall, and the tiling of the summits of the wall with “throughs.” The filling-in of the wall has been most conscientiously executed, and is seen to have been done course by course with the faces of the wall, as the courses throughout are pronounced to correspond with the outer courses of the wall on either side, and some builders have positively stated that some sort of a levelling instrument must have been used. “Straight joints” for more than two or three courses are absent, and these are rare, “false courses” are also rare, and there is little seen of chips levelling-up the corners of the blocks.

The marvellous symmetry of the batter-back of the dry masonry, especially in the boldly conceived and most excellently constructed sweep of the wall on its inner face from north to north-east and south-west, secures the admiration of every visitor, and forms one of the chief features by which the Great Zimbabwe stamps itself on one’s memory. The scrupulously careful workmanship displayed here, and particularly in the courses near the Chevron Pattern and on the outer face of the north-east portion of the wall, show undoubtedly the most superior of any ancient building yet discovered in Rhodesia, if not also of the important ruins lying at some distance, to the south-east, of which only sketch-plans and a few photographs are yet to hand. The massive solidity and excellent construction, together with its batter (see Architecture, section “Battering of Walls”), which this wall displays, have, no doubt, secured its wonderful preservation in spite of earthquake, effects of tree and creeper growth, and the ravages of some millenniums of time.