CHAPTER XIII

THE ELLIPTICAL TEMPLE (_Continued_)

The Platform—Enclosures Nos. 9 to 15—Central area—Platform area—Inner Parallel Passage—South Passage—West Passage—North-East Passage—Outer Parallel Passage.

8a. THE PLATFORM

This is a raised platform standing immediately in front of the _Conical Tower_ at a distance of 4 ft. from north to north-west. The proximity of this structure to the _Conical Tower_, its position in front of it, its summit commanding a view of the interior of the temple, particularly of the interior of the _Sacred Enclosure_, its peculiar form as compared with other structures in the temple, and the excellent workmanship displayed in its walls, as well as the decoration of green chlorite schist on its east wall, would appear to show that it possessed some highly important significance in the minds of the ancient worshippers. So much is this so that visitors most frequently remark that this structure must have been the “pulpit” from which the priests addressed the crowd of worshippers.

_The Platform_ possesses no angular feature. Its plan is oval, the entrance is rounded, and the curves of the walls are excellently worked out. The southern and eastern half of this building now only remains intact, the northern half, though still traceable, having been pushed over northwards by a huge tree.

The inside area of the southern half is 14 ft. from north to south, and 16 ft. from east to west. The heights of its sides are as follows: east side, 9 ft. from granite cement step on floor of _No. 11 Enclosure_; west side, 10 ft. above floor of _No. 9 Enclosure_, including 3 ft. height of terraced wall; south side, 12 ft. above floor of _Sacred Enclosure_ (_west_), and 11 ft. from top of “blind steps” in the same enclosure; the north side is ruined. The wall on its present summit is from 2 ft. to 2 ft. 6 in. wide.

On the inside, and at a height of from 2 ft. to 4 ft. below the summit of the wall, is a raised platform 2 ft. wide running round the inside of the wall. This platform, which, in fact, is banquette work, is paved with stones, and these are covered with granite cement. This banquette was approached by well steps ascending up in the centre of the interior, and these were made of blocks covered with granite cement.

The entrance to _The Platform_ is on the north-east side, but only one side is now remaining. It is 9 ft. high and is rounded. The large upper granite cement step on the floor of _No. 11 Enclosure_ led up to this entrance. The decorative pattern on the outer face of the north-east wall is described in the account of _No. 11 Enclosure_.

This _Platform_ appears to have served an identical purpose as that of the elevated _Platform_ at the _Western Temple_ on the _Acropolis_, and as that of the _Ancient Balcony_ which commands the interior of the _Eastern Temple_ on _Zimbabwe Hill_.

Bent stated that in 1891 a tall unhewn granite monolith stood erect immediately north of _The Platform_, but there is no trace now of its existence, and several old residents of Victoria say it must have disappeared before they first visited the ruins.[54] The positions of all three of the platforms suggest some purpose in the ancient religious services.

NO. 9 ENCLOSURE

This enclosure lies to the north of the western end of _Sacred Enclosure_ (_west_), to the east of _No. 7 Enclosure_, to the west of _The Platform_, and to the south of the south passage to _No. 10 Enclosure_ and of _No. 10 Enclosure_.

Its area is: north side, 26 ft; west side, 26 ft.; east side, 42 ft.; and south side, 24 ft.

The south side is formed by the wall dividing this enclosure from _Sacred Enclosure_ (_west_), and this is 9 ft. high, and shows the two classes of building as does the opposite side. The west side for 6 ft. from its south end is formed by a wall of this length, and which is 6 ft. high. This wall at its northern end terminates abruptly and leans northwards, being supported by a bank of soil débris. The rest of this side is formed by the bank of soil débris as far as the south passage to _No. 10 Enclosure_. The north side is formed by the south wall of that passage and of _No. 10 Enclosure_. The passage wall is 6 ft. high, and the enclosure wall 8 ft. high. The east side for 14 ft. from the south end is formed by _The Platform_, and a terraced wall projecting westwards for from 5 ft. to 7 ft. The rest of the eastern side was an open space, until recently covered with soil débris.

An entrance from _Sacred Enclosure_ (_west_) is in the south-west corner, and this is described in the account of that enclosure. This entrance on the north side has two stone steps covered with granite cement. The entrance from _No. 10 Enclosure_ is described in the account of the passage to that enclosure.

At the south side there is a mass of granite cement rendered shapeless by roots of trees and creepers, and also considerably decomposed by annual accumulations of rain-water, as this is the lowest part of the enclosure. Traces of rounded faces can be seen at several points in this cement.

On the eastern side the floor is made of granite cement. This is only 4 in. thick, and underneath it are several thin layers of floors made of granite cement.

It is believed that the angle between _The Platform_ and the south wall once held “blind steps.” The quantity of decomposed granite cement found in this corner, together with traces of two steps on the terraced wall, rather confirms this belief.

NO. 10 ENCLOSURE

This enclosure lies on the north side of _No. 7 Enclosure_. Until August, 1902, nothing was known concerning it, nor could it have been examined during the last fifty years. The Makalanga, as previously stated, whose last occupation of the temple as a kraal was some sixty years ago, had filled it in with stones and rubble and laid a common clay floor over the filling-in, as was their usual practice in almost all the ancient ruins in Rhodesia which they occupied. On this clay floor was built a circular hut of clay. The filling-in completely buried portions of the walls of the enclosure.

In addition to this filling-in, the area had been used as a dumping-ground for soil excavated from neighbouring enclosures, and so much so that the soil heap was at least 6 ft. higher than the filling-in by the Makalanga, and it contained some twenty-five tons of soil, all of which has now been removed.

In form the enclosure has the shape of a quarter of a section of a circle, the square sides being on the south and west.

The south side is 27 ft. 6 in. long, the south entrance to this enclosure being at 20 ft. to 23 ft. from the west end. The south wall is the divisional wall between _No. 7 Enclosure_ and this enclosure. It is massive and very well built, and is still from 6 ft. to 7 ft. in height.

The west side is 31 ft. 6 in. in length. The first 21 ft. from its south end is well built, and is in a good state of preservation save for a reduction in its summit. It is 4 ft. wide at present level of ground. The northern extremity of the 21-ft. length is rounded. The wall at its southern end is 8 ft. high, but for 10 ft. at its northern end it averages only 4 ft. to 5 ft. in height. At 21 ft. to 23 ft. along the west side of the enclosure is the western entrance, the northern side of which is formed by a rounded buttress, now only 2 ft. in height. The rest of the wall towards the north is very dilapidated.

The east side, which curves outwards towards the east, measures 40 ft. along the face of the wall. The length of 27 ft. from the north end is formed by a wall of this length, which is 3 ft. to 4 ft. high and 3 ft. wide. This wall is obviously of poor and late construction as compared with the west and south wall of this enclosure, and crosses in the middle of its length, at right angles, an old substantial foundation running east and west. The foundation of the upper wall is laid on the block and soil débris on the summit of the buried wall. Probably this buried wall was the north side of this enclosure at a lower level, and this would have once made the enclosure square in form. The eastern wall terminates at its south end with an angular buttress 2 ft. 6 in. wide, which protrudes westerly 16 in. into the enclosure, where it terminates abruptly in a broken end. From the 27-ft. point to the sound end of the wall is a very well-built substantial wall 4 ft. 6 in. wide at base, but for 5 ft. from its north end it is 1 ft. only above the present floor, but for the rest of its length it is 6 ft. in height. Where the wall so rises in height it is rounded across the wall, and this may have been the south side of an eastern entrance into the enclosure.

Though this enclosure has been cleared, the coarse red clay of the Makalanga still remains in the centre of the area, but in the angles of this enclosure and along its south side is some yellow granite cement of a far greater age.

On the yellow granite cement a quantity of what appear to have been gold-burnishing tools were found. All these were originally water-worn, but showed signs of having been artificially worn as tools. Five of these showed gold richly on the sides used for burnishing, others also showed gold. This was the only enclosure in this temple where such tools were found, and the number of them discovered at and near one spot suggests that this enclosure was in pre-Kafir occupation days a gold-burnisher’s workshop, just as _No. 7 Enclosure_ was evidently a goldsmith’s workshop, while for corresponding reasons _No. 6 Enclosure_ was a chief place for the smelting of gold. A quantity of pottery made of soapstone clay, the first of such pottery yet discovered, was found in this enclosure.

SOUTH APPROACH TO NO. 10 ENCLOSURE

This is formed by a passage 10 ft. long, which enters this enclosure at its south-east corner. It is probable that this passage was much longer, and that it once extended to the north-west corner of the _Sacred Enclosure_, where is an entrance facing the passage.

The west side of the passage is formed by a wall 14 ft. 6 in. long, 4 ft. high, and 3 ft. 6 in. on its present reduced summit, which wall is also the east wall of _No. 7 Enclosure_.

On the east side is a very well-built wall 10 ft. 6 in. long, 4 ft. 6 in. high, and 3 ft. wide on its present summit, with a finely constructed rounded end tapering upwards and facing south. The rounded end is 7 ft. high, and rises from the floor of _No. 9 Enclosure_, which is on the east side but on a lower level.

The south end of the passage is 4 ft. wide, but the north end is 6 ft. 6 in. wide, but is narrowed to 2 ft. 6 in. by a rounded buttress 4 ft. 6 in. high, and this and the rounded wall opposite, which forms the other side of the entrance, have upright portcullis-like grooves.

The floor of the passage is paved with flat shallow stones covered for 2 in. in depth with granite cement.

NO. 11 ENCLOSURE

This immediately adjoins on the north side of _Sacred Enclosure_ (_east_). On the west side it is bounded by _The Platform_, on the east by a large rounded buttress which separates it from _No. 12 Enclosure_, but its northern boundary, if any, is at present difficult to determine.

Through this enclosure is the northern entrance to the _Sacred Enclosure_, and this entrance is within 8 ft. of the north face of the _Conical Tower_. Evidently both from its close proximity to the _Sacred Enclosure_, the _Tower_, and _The Platform_, the ancient occupiers considered this enclosure to be of importance, and the splendid construction of the massive steps leading toward the tower would appear to further confirm the correctness of this conjecture.

The area is, south side 18 ft.; west 14 ft.; east 14 ft.; and north 17 ft.

The wall on the south side is 13 ft. high at its western end, but is reduced by dilapidation to 6 ft. at the entrance to the _Sacred Enclosure_. At its highest point are five parallel horizontal bands of green chlorite schist[55] separated from each other by two courses of granite blocks. This wall is excellently built, and most patently differs in style and excellence of construction from the same wall which also forms the southern side of _No. 12 Enclosure_, and the difference strongly suggests that during the later ancient occupation the part of the wall which was continued into the adjoining enclosure fell down and was rebuilt only in a poorer style. This can also be seen on the opposite face of the wall in the _Sacred Enclosure_.

The wall on the west side is the outer face of the east wall of _The Platform_. This is 9 ft. high, measuring from the granite cement step at its base, and 10 ft. long. At the north end of this wall, which is rounded, is the approach to the summit of _The Platform_. On the face of this wall, and starting from the entrance to the _Sacred Enclosure_, is a decoration of seven parallel and horizontal rows of green chlorite schist, with two courses of granite blocks between each. Each row begins close up to the entrance, but all terminate towards the north of the wall, each lower row extending some 6 in. more north than the one above it.

On the east side the rounded buttress projects 6 ft. 6 in. from the south wall, and is still 4 ft. 6 in. high, and 11 ft. long measuring towards the east. This length may be divided into two portions, the eastern part which is angular and of poor construction, being in all probability a later erection to support the joint in the superior and poorer portions of the south wall, also the western portion already described. On the north side of this buttress is a granite cement floor raised 4 in. above the floor of the enclosure, and the step is rounded along its edge. The western and northern sides of this buttress were once faced with granite cement 3 in. thick in the form of a dado. A portion of this cement still remains on the north side, and the quality of the cement is identical with the cement found in dado fashion on the faces of other walls in the temple and on the _Acropolis_. The eastern addition to this buttress does not appear ever to have had a cemented dado.

The most striking features of this enclosure are its most excellent granite cement floor and its massive rounded steps. Until October, 1902, this enclosure was filled up to a height of 5 ft. above the present opened-out floors. The lowest strata of filling-in, 2 ft. thick, had been made by rains washing in the soil from adjoining and higher enclosures, the drain-hole through the south wall having become blocked. There was no vegetable matter in this stratum. The stratum of filling-in above the lowest one was a deliberate filling-in and levelling-up by Makalanga of a very early period, for this débris contained articles such as pottery, assegai-heads, clay whorls, which, though strongly resembling those of the present Makalanga pattern, were of a somewhat better quality than those made by them either to-day or within the last few generations. This stratum of filling-in was done at one and the same time, for the line of stratification was perfect and unbroken. Above this stratum was one of ordinary _daga_ (clay) and not cement, and this contained articles more closely resembling those of present Makalanga make, but this stratum must have been filled in, judging by the quantity of débris found, more than seventy years ago, for according to local native accounts it was fully seventy years ago when the Makalanga ceased to occupy the _Elliptical Temple_ as a place of residence, though sacrifices of oxen on certain feast days, as mentioned by Mauch, Phillips, and Bent, and local chiefs, took place in the temple down to thirty years ago, if not somewhat later. Above this stratum and forming the surface was a stratum of very rich leaf mould about 18 in. thick, and this was matted with vegetable growth.

On digging out the roots of a large parent monkey-rope tree, which had done considerable damage to the south wall of this enclosure, and which tree appears in all the old photographs of the _Conical Tower_, a section of an ancient floor was discovered at a depth of 5 ft. Some twenty tons of filling-in were removed, and the whole of the cement floor as seen to-day was exposed. The old visitors’ path crossed this enclosure 5 ft. above this cement floor.

The cement work in this enclosure is most excellent, hardly a scratch being seen upon its surface. It is the finest and most perfect specimen yet found either at Zimbabwe or any ancient ruin in Rhodesia. The granite powder in the cement is so firmly set that picks cannot make any impression upon it. This flooring averages 18 in. to 2 ft. in thickness, and must rest on a splendid foundation, for the levels of the floor are almost true to this day.

A large cement step runs north and south at 2 ft. from the west side. This is 14 in. high and 5 ft. long, but originally, according to its curve and traces of its continuation, 7 ft. long. The step which has a rounded edge forms the lower portion of the approach to _The Platform_.

A second step runs from north to south at 5 ft. from the front of the first step, and slightly curves out eastwards. This step is 12 ft. high, 11 ft. 6 in. long, and has a boldly rounded edge. The floor has a slight fall to the south-east corner, where is a drain-hole which has its exit near the small tower in _Sacred Enclosure_ (_east_).

The entrance to the _Sacred Enclosure_, which is in the south-west corner of this enclosure, is 2 ft. 6 in. wide, is rounded, and has portcullis grooves on either side.

NO. 12 ENCLOSURE

This immediately adjoins _No. 11 Enclosure_ on its north-east side. Its east wall for 28 ft. is formed by west wall of _Sacred Enclosure_ (_east_), and for 21 ft. by the west wall of _Parallel Passage_. These walls are one, and curve outwards towards the east to the extent of 6 ft. from a line drawn from end to end of the wall in this enclosure. This east wall is 49 ft. long and 10 ft. high, and from the angular buttress at the south-west corner has a banquette wall, 4 ft. high, projecting 1 ft. 6 in., and continued north-east for 32 ft. from the buttress. This wall is of inferior construction to the same wall on the east side of _No. 11 Enclosure_, the courses being most irregular, the stones ill-sorted, and there is no decoration on its face. The north-eastern portion is reduced to 3 ft. 6 in. in height for a length of 17 ft., the upper portion having fallen into _Parallel Passage_. The angular buttress in the south-west corner appears to have been built at a later period, when the west wall of _Sacred Enclosure_ (_east_) was rebuilt, for the buttress covers the joint between the original portion and the later portion, as if to strengthen the wall at this point. The north side for 12 ft. is formed by a wall of this length, which is 4 ft. high and 3 ft. 6 in. wide on its present summit. But it is impossible at present to define either the western boundary or those of the remainder of the north and south sides, owing to the fact that all divisional walls in this portion of the temple have been covered over and buried during the period of some later occupiers.

In the angle formed by the east and south sides is a platform 6 ft. high and 11 ft. wide, which is approached by five steps, the platform and the steps being covered with granite cement. Similar steps and platforms are found in the angles of other enclosures both in the _Elliptical Temple_ and in the ruins on the Acropolis. These are all remarkably alike in position, dimensions, and construction, and all appear to have answered an identical purpose. The sizes of the steps, the nearness of the lowest step to the walls preclude the suggestion that they were flights on the summits of the walls. (See _Blind Steps_—_Architecture_.)

A drain passes under the small platform and it has cement rims to lead the water to it.

NO. 13 ENCLOSURE

This adjoins _No. 12 Enclosure_ on the north side, the west side of the inner wall of the _Parallel Passage_ forming its eastern boundary for 25 ft. 6 in. This wall is 5 ft. high for 18 ft. from the south end of the enclosure, and 11 ft. 6 in. high for the last 7 ft. of its northern end.

The south side is formed for 12 ft. by the wall separating this enclosure from _No. 12_, but _No. 13_ being at a lower level, this wall is 6 ft. high from the present filled-in surface of the enclosure.

The north and north-west side is formed by a wall 32 ft. long, with a rounded entrance from _No. 14 Enclosure_ between the 21-ft. and 23-ft. points of this length, measuring from the east end of this wall. The wall is fairly well built at its eastern end, where it is still 4 ft. high and 3 ft. 6 in. to 4 ft. wide on its present reduced summit. This wall is built upon a red cement foundation. The south-west end of the wall is very dilapidated, but appears to have been originally of good construction. [Owing to piles of soil débris on the south-west side of this enclosure, it is impossible at present to define the exact limits on that side, but the shape of the enclosure is that of a keystone, its widest and rounded end being on the east side.]

NO. 14 ENCLOSURE

This enclosure, which is on the east side of the temple, is where the _Inner Parallel Passage_ opens into the interior of the building. The area is 47 ft. from north to south, and 42 ft. east to west. It is open on the north and west sides where it adjoins _No. 15 Enclosure_ and the _Central Area_ respectively.

The east side is formed by the south entrance to _Inner Parallel Passage_ by the large buttress, 7 ft. high, projecting into, and forming, the south side of the entrance to that passage, and by a length of 17 ft. of the west wall of the large _Parallel Passage_ which is here 14 ft. high.

The south side is bounded by the divisional wall, 5 ft. high, between this enclosure and _No. 13 Enclosure_. In this wall is a rounded entrance between the two enclosures.

The west side is open to the interior of the temple, but at 42 ft. in that direction there are traces of a wall running north and south which probably formed its west side.

The north side was once formed by a wall of which traces can yet be seen, and which once divided this enclosure from _No. 15 Enclosure_.

Projecting from the north face of the south wall are the remains of a sub-divisional wall. Several large, rounded structures of cement are on the south-west side of the enclosure. The topmost floor of the enclosure is made of a pinkish-coloured clay, which evidently has been burnt. Under this floor was found sections of carved soapstone beams, a few pieces of beaten gold, and other relics. On the surface of this floor only superior-made native articles were found, and the floor was covered by at least 2 ft. of rich black vegetable mould. Several trees which were growing in this enclosure have recently been removed.

NO. 15 ENCLOSURE

From an archæological point of view this enclosure is one of the most interesting compartments in the temple, for here are to be seen several layers of floors of a succession of occupiers each for a long period of time.

In 1903 this enclosure was found to be filled in with soil, ashes, and bones to a depth of 12 ft., and on the top was a large tree at least seventy to a hundred years old. When this great body of filling-in was cleared away several most interesting architectural features were revealed.

The area is 56 ft. from east to west, and at its widest point 18 ft. from north to south. The east, north, and west sides are formed by the south wall of the _Inner Parallel Passage_, and by a continuation of the same wall which curves outwards towards the north-west and forms the south wall of the _South Passage_. This wall is 12 ft. high all round and is well and massively built, the curve at the north-west end being exceedingly well carried out. A drain passes through the east end of the wall and opens into the _Inner Parallel Passage_.

The south side is formed by two walls and a series of semi-circular cement buttresses. The first or western end wall is rounded, being 7 ft. round the face and 8 ft. high. A straight wall joins on to the rounded length, and is 6 ft. 6 in. long and 7 ft. high. This length has a drain-hole passing through it from the passage which forms the eastern approach to the _South Passage_. A large rounded cement buttress follows the two walls, and this is 14 ft. long and 7 ft. high. A length of a few feet of soil showing several floors at different heights is on the east side of the cement buttress, and another rounded cement buttress, 3 ft. high, completes the boundary of the enclosure on the south side.

The lowest of the floors is formed of paving stones and granite cement, and the level of this is flush with the bottom course of blocks in the drain. But underneath this undoubtedly old floor, which was apparently laid down when the east wall was built, there are cement steps and buttresses at a depth of some 18 in. below the level of the drain. Underneath the floor were found two phalli, fragments of ornamented bowls and soapstone beams, clearly showing that the space underneath this lowest floor had been occupied before the floor was laid.

A floor of a pinkish-coloured cement, similar to that found in other enclosures, is at some distance above the granite cement floor, and on this floor were found very old native articles and quantities of buck bones and ashes. Above this are floors of thin _daga_ (clay), and on each of these were also bones and ashes and native articles which are not now manufactured.

The position of the east wall of this enclosure and the fact of its covering some older enclosure seem to point to it as not being a portion of the original building.

CENTRAL AREA

This area of unexplored ground lies at the centre of the temple. It was originally very much larger, but recent excavations have reduced it in extent. The space covered is 80 ft. from east to west, and 30 ft. from north to south, and it extends between _Nos. 5 and 14 Enclosures_, and _Nos. 1 and 10 Enclosures_.

Some plans of the temple show dotted lines to mark position of conjectured walls, but most of these have been found not to exist. On the surface of the highest portion of this area are slight walls of shallow foundations and poor construction built across soil and blocks thrown promiscuously together, and probably the blocks and the debris of some buried structures at a lower level.

PLATFORM AREA

Immediately in front of and adjoining the _Sacred Enclosure_ in which stands the _Conical Tower_, and overlooked by _The Platform_, is a large open area in the form of a bow, the rounded side—east and south-east—being formed by _No. 9 Enclosure_, _The Platform_, and _Nos. 11, 12, and 13 Enclosures_, while the straight side, from south-west to north-east, is formed by _Nos. 7 and 10 Enclosures_, a circular platform, and _No. 13 Enclosure_.

The area covered by this open space is 126 ft. from south-west to north-east and 51 ft. from east to west. This space had not been previously examined by any modern explorer. Nor does any published plan of the temple attempt to deal with it, it having been always left as an unmarked space.

Bent found a similarity between _The Platform_ which overlooks this area from its east side and the _Agora_ or platform-pulpit of the ancient temples in the Near East to which references are so frequently made in classic history, and he considered that this platform at Zimbabwe, especially in view of its position in front of the _Conical Tower_, was used for religious purposes, and that the open space immediately at its foot and in front of it most probably held the crowd of worshippers that might have been addressed from the elevated _Platform_.

The examination of this area in 1903 shows that Bent in 1891 made a very shrewd conjecture as to the nature of the area. Over twelve years ago and until 1903 the space held out a prospect of its containing under its surface any number of walls, for in the Elliptical Temple divisional walls and other structures are closely packed together. Now that the space for 126 ft. by 51 ft. has been cleared to a depth of from 4 ft. to 8 ft. following the lines of old cement floors which were completely buried, the space is shown to be actually an open area without walls or traces of walls of any sort crossing it at any point. Excepting such granite blocks as lined the bases of the boundary walls of this area, not ten hundred-weight of blocks were found, and these were scattered about at different heights and in almost every position in the soil débris which was removed.

In excavating this large space down to the floor which runs throughout the area at a similar level—a work occupying, forty native labourers for three months—“finds” of any antique character were only made on the cleared floor and not in the soil débris which was removed, and all such relics which included fragments of both plain and carved soapstone beams, gold plates, beads and wire, were about equally distributed over the whole area.

The most important architectural features disclosed in the clearing of this area were as follows:—

Drain from _No. 10 Enclosure_ into this area.

A rounded terrace wall on the west side of _The Platform_.

Excellent granite cement dado work, several square feet being still intact.

Two massive granite cement steps leading up to the north entrance to the _Sacred Enclosure_.

The large granite cement steps leading up to the small platform in the angle formed by the north and east walls of _No. 12 Enclosure_.

Drain-hole in buttress in _No. 12 Enclosure_ with large cement guides to lead water to it.

The suggestion made in description of the slight and poorly built east wall of _No. 10 Enclosure_ that it was of later construction is confirmed.

Circular granite cement platform with steps leading to summit.

This last-mentioned structure is worthy of more than a mere mention; as apart from its excellent construction and its position, its summit was found to be covered with soapstone beams, plain and decorated, while fragments of beams were lying all round its base. Near this spot numerous soapstone phalli, including one of very large size, were discovered.

This platform is 69 ft., N. 20, from the north face of the _Conical Tower_ measured through the centre of the north entrance to the _Sacred Enclosure_. It has a circumference of 30 ft. 6 in., and is from 2 ft. 4 in. to 2 ft. 8 in. in height, with a rounded bevel at base 3 in. high and projecting 6 in. There are two boldly rounded steps, each 8 in. high, on the east side, and on the east side of the steps is a low cement parapet. This platform occupies a somewhat isolated position. Its summit was found to be buried for at least 2 ft. in soil. Close to the north side was a large tree, judged to have been almost one hundred years old. The roots of the tree had arched over and also encircled the structure, and so had preserved it. The roots had attempted to penetrate the cement, but failing to do so they passed completely round its face, and when cut away they were almost all semi-circular in shape.

INNER PARALLEL PASSAGE

This passage lies between the main _Parallel Passage_ and _No. 15 Enclosure_. It runs north-west to south-east from the _South Passage_ near the _North Entrance_ to the temple into _No. 15 Enclosure_, and is parallel with _Parallel Passage_. The three parallel walls forming the two passages are generally known as the _Triple Walls_. Whereas the _Parallel Passage_ led from the _North Entrance_ to the _Sacred Enclosure_ only, this leads from near the _North Entrance_ right into the interior of the temple.

Its length is 71 ft., and at its eastern end it is 7 ft. wide for a short distance, but rapidly closes in to a width of 3 ft. 6 in., which is maintained throughout the greatest part of its remaining length.

The north-eastern wall is the south-western wall of the _Parallel Passage_, and from the eastern end for 29 ft. this wall averages in height 12 ft. to 14 ft. above the present floor of the passage, and from the 29-ft. point to 67 ft. the face of the wall is damaged by roots, and the height here is only 7 ft.

The south-western side is formed by the wall dividing this passage from _No. 15 Enclosure_. It averages 10 ft. in height, and is well and very substantially built. On this side, at 32 ft. from the eastern end, is a drain leading from _No. 15 Enclosure_.

The western entrance to this passage has on the north-eastern side a rounded buttress 5 ft. high, 6 ft. long, and protruding 1 ft. 10 in. from the face of the wall. This buttress has a portcullis groove, but this has recently been built up in order to strengthen the buttress. On the opposite side there are traces only of a corresponding buttress in the shape of some foundation stones, and there are also signs that there were once steps extending from buttress to buttress.

It is probable that the ancient floor was only a few inches below the present cleared-out floor, as what appear to be paving stones, together with small sections of granite floor, can be seen outcropping at several points along the passage, but vine and tree roots have lifted the rest of the stones out of place.

At the eastern end is a large, substantial, and well-constructed rounded buttress protruding 9 ft. towards south-west from the north-eastern side of the passage, where it here opens on to _No. 14 Enclosure_. This buttress gives the passage-way a turn south at almost right angles. This buttress is from 4 ft. to 10 ft. in height on its front face, but 21 ft. at its rear, and this buttress forms part of the boundary of _No. 14 Enclosure_.

It is possible that this buttress which is hollow, and to which there are traces of an entrance from the passage, once enclosed steps leading on to the summit of the wall between the _Parallel Passage_ and the _Inner Parallel Passage_.[56] Certainly the way the stone débris inside the buttress has fallen tends to support this conjecture.

SOUTH PASSAGE

This passage appears to have been the main artery leading from the main and _North Entrance_ of the temple right into the central portion of the building, where it has its terminus. It is 68 ft. long from the broad step on the south side of the _North Entrance_ to the steps at the south end of the passage.

For 23 ft. from the north end where is the broad step there is an almost triangular area, 23 ft. from north to south, and 30 ft. from east to west, having its base on the north side. The western end of _Inner Parallel Passage_ enters it at the eastern corner, and the entrance from _No. 3 Enclosure_ is at its western corner. The heights of the walls forming this area are: north side being the south wall of the _Parallel Passage_, 15 ft.; south-west side being the north-east wall of _No. 1 Enclosure_, 12 ft.; the west side being the divisional wall between the area and _No. 3 Enclosure_, 6 ft.; the east and south being the wall dividing the area from _No. 15 Enclosure_, 12 ft. All these walls are well built and are very substantial.

In the centre of this area is a raised platform, commencing at 9 ft. from the north side of the area and terminating at 21 ft. from the same point, thus giving it a length of 12 ft. It is 9 ft. 6 in. wide and 3 ft. high, and has granite cement covering, where not broken, the whole summit. An old euphorbia tree was found growing out of this cement, its roots having played havoc with the side walls of the platform, the best portion now remaining facing the north-east side. The tree has now been removed. This platform is approached by three large granite cement steps, the two lower ones still being in a fair condition. These steps are each 12 in. high, and from front to back are from 10 in. to 12 in., while they are 2 ft. 6 in. wide, and are rounded on the edges.

The most peculiar circumstance about this platform is that under a foot depth of vegetable mould which completely covered it and rendered the platform shapeless, and lying on the surface of the cement floor, were found some hundred-weights of bones of oxen. There were no bones other than those of oxen, and the bones had not been split open for the marrow, as is so frequently found to be the case in very old Makalanga débris heaps. Nor were any broken pottery, iron implements, or iron and brass bangles, such as are most usually found together in such débris, to be seen, but carbonised wood was found in large quantities.

It should be remembered that Mauch and others of the early writers on Zimbabwe state that they had witnessed sacrifices by the Makalanga of those days of black oxen in the _Elliptical Temple_, and the local natives also state that this was their practice up to within the last fifteen years. Possibly this was the spot where these sacrifices took place, for though Thomas Baines in a painting he made of one of these ceremonies places the _Conical Tower_ in the background, there are no signs anywhere near that structure that such sacrifices ever took place in its immediate vicinity, all of which has now been cleared of débris down to the cement floor at every point where the _Conical Tower_ could possibly have formed a background for such a ceremony. It is now almost certain that Baines painted this and other pictures of Zimbabwe from the descriptions given him by Renders, Phillips, and Mauch. But in the south-western end of the _Parallel Passage_ for about 20 ft. or 30 ft. from its exit into the _Sacred Enclosure_ (_east_) the débris was very mixed, and included bones of oxen and buck, the larger bones all split open. Probably this was one of the spots in the temple where these annual sacrifices of black oxen by Makalangas took place.

The platform faces the north, the steps being on the south-east side. The area containing this platform was evidently once laid with granite cement, but sections of it only remain in the western corner and on its north-east side. A drain-hole leading into the _Parallel Passage_ is at 6 ft. east of the broad steps ascending from this area to the _North Entrance_. This step is 11 ft. broad.

At 23 ft. south from its north end the area narrows to 3 ft. 10 in., which width is maintained for 18 ft., the passage for this length running between _No. 16 Enclosure_ on the east side and _No. 1 Enclosure_ on its west side. At this point in this section of the passage a large flat slab of granite has been banked up with stones to keep the upper portion of the wall on the west from collapsing into the passage. The walls here on either side are from 7 ft. to 10 ft. high.

At 43 ft. south from the north end of the passage are two entrances, the one from the west being from _No. 1 Enclosure_, and this is angular, while the other facing it on the east being from a short passage on the south side of _No. 16 Enclosure_, is rounded, and has portcullis grooves. From the 43-ft. point the width of the passage is 2 ft. 8 in., but at its southern extremity it is increased during the last few feet to 4 ft. 10 in. The side walls are very well built, and are still in a good state of preservation. The entrance at the south end of the passage has a rounded buttress with portcullis groove on either side leaving a width of 3 ft. This entrance has five large stone steps practically perfect. The buttresses are 5 ft. high.

WEST PASSAGE

This passage lies on the west side of the interior of the temple, and is between _Nos. 4 and 5 Enclosures_ on the west and _No. 1 Enclosure_ and _Central Area_ on the east. It runs north and south, and is formed on the west side by a massive and well-built wall, which is in the form of an arc; the length of the inside face of the wall being 65 ft., and that of the line drawn from extremity to extremity of the wall being 57 ft., and this passes at 8 ft. from the inner face at the centre of the curve westwards.

This large curved wall is independent of any other structure, and stands entirely by itself. It is clearly the best-constructed wall in the western half of the temple, and the excellent workmanship displayed in the regularity of the courses, the bold and well-executed curve, and its immense width, at once strike the attention of anyone who enters the temple at the western portal. Its width is 8 ft. at 6 ft. above the ground, and its height ranges from 6 ft. to 10 ft.

The position and character of this wall induced Bent to conjecture that this arc was one of the proofs that the entire temple was a “multiform temple,” such as are found in South-West Asia, and these “little temples ... were dedicated to the cult of particular stars.” Bent considered that the massive and well-built curved walls in _Enclosures Nos. 7 and 15_ were also employed for particular observations independently of the great temple itself. At the time Bent made this conjecture he was unaware that up against the centre of the inner face of this curved wall was a platform raised some 4 ft. above the level of the ground, and of the numerous relics of the older type found at and near it, or that there were originally three granite monoliths once standing parallel with, and at equal distance from, the west face of this wall. These discoveries have only just recently been made, as well as other corresponding discoveries in the other two enclosures which Bent took to be minor temples. Each of the monoliths is 29 ft. from the west face of the wall, and each is 9 ft. apart.

At its south end the passage is 10 ft. wide, at the north end it narrows to 4 ft., but at its centre it averages a width of 10 ft. to 12 ft.

The east side of the passage is formed for 49 ft. from the north end by the wall of _No. 1 Enclosure_, which here appears to be of poorer and later construction, also by a roughly built wall, 11 ft. long, with foundation some 4 ft. above the foundation of the wall of _No. 1 Enclosure_, and by a rounded buttress, 12 ft. length of facing and 7 ft. high, which has its foundation on the platform which overlooks the west curved wall.

The platform, which is of cement, once had retaining walls at two levels, and portions of these still remain.

NORTH-EAST PASSAGE[57]

This passage is on the north-east side of the temple and immediately outside the _North Entrance_, running north-east at right angles from the main wall between that entrance and [590 ft.]. Its total length is 360 ft., but there is some evidence that it once extended further towards the north-east for at least some hundred yards beyond the 360 ft. Only a portion of the 360 ft. length has at present been cleared of débris.

On the north-west side it is bounded by a well-built wall 4 ft. 6 in. high and 12 ft. long, at the north-east end of which is a large rounded buttress with portcullis groove. This buttress projects 3 ft. into the passage, and is 3 ft. 6 in. high. Probably another buttress containing a corresponding portcullis groove faced it on the opposite side of the passage.

The eastern side is bounded by the entrance to the _Outer Parallel Passage_ and by the north wall of that passage, which curves round in front of the _North Entrance_ to the temple, and runs at right angles to its former position. This wall, which is well built, is 7 ft. high, and forms the east side of the passage for some 35 ft., but at this point it is reduced to 3 ft. in height, and is carried on toward the north-east in a less carefully constructed style.

The widths of the passage and the heights of the side walls, measuring from the _North Entrance_ to the temple, are as follows:—

Heights. Width. West side. East side. S. Extremity 12 ft. 4 ft. 6 in. 7 ft. 25 ft. 5 ft. 2 ft. 6 in. 6 ft. 35 ft. 2 ft. 10 in. 3 ft. 4 ft. 50 ft. 2 ft. 6 in. 3 ft. 3 ft.

Between 35 ft. and 50 ft. are remains of pavement.

This passage, with its length of 660 ft., is believed to have formed the chief line of communication between the _Elliptical Temple_ and the _Acropolis_, seeing that it runs from the main entrance of the temple down into the valley at a point almost facing the lowest extremity of the _South-East Ancient Ascent_ to the _Acropolis_.

OUTER PARALLEL PASSAGE

On leaving the temple by the _North Entrance_ one enters a walled-in area. This area is formed by the southern extremity of the _North-East Passage_ and the western extremity of the _Outer Parallel Passage_, both of which meet at, and converge upon, the _North Entrance_.

The _Outer Parallel Passage_ runs for 125 ft. east-south-east from the _North Entrance_ parallel with the north-east wall of the temple between the points [450 ft.] and [575 ft.] of its outer circumference. At its extremity near the _North Entrance_ this passage is 7 ft. wide, and 25 ft. further east-south-east of the entrance it is 3 ft. 8 in. wide, which width is maintained for a length of 50 ft., beyond which point it commences to widen out till the east-south-east extremity is reached, where it is 12 ft. 6 in. wide.

Opposite the _North Entrance_ the outer wall of the passage is 6 ft. high; at 25 ft. further east-south-east, 5 ft.; at 75 ft., 8 ft.; at 100 ft., 7 ft.; and at 125 ft., 5 ft., the line of summit from the 25 ft. point to the east-south-east extremity being fairly level throughout. This outer wall is well built. It is 4 ft. 2 in. wide on the summit at 5 ft. from the floor of the passage, and 3 ft. 10 in. wide at 7 ft. from the ground.

At 25 ft. from the _North Entrance_ is a rounded entrance through the outer wall. This has portcullis grooves. It is 1 ft. 10 in. wide, and has three steps formed of the courses of the foundation of the wall, the upper step being curved back into the entrance.

At the extremity near the _North Entrance_ there are the remains of a small rounded buttress projecting into the passage from the main wall of the temple.