CHAPTER XVI

THE ACROPOLIS RUINS (_Continued_)

Platform Enclosure—Cleft Rock Enclosure—The Platform—Balcony Wall—Little Enclosure—The Winding Stairs—Upper Passage—East Passage—Buttress Passage—South Enclosures A, B, and C—South Cave—South Passage—Central Passage.

PLATFORM ENCLOSURE

This enclosure is on the north side of the _Western Temple_, and immediately at the foot of the stairs leading up the north-west side of _The Platform_. The east side is 46 ft. long, and is formed by a wall 19 ft. high and 7 ft. wide at 5 ft. above the present level of the interior. The north wall is 33 ft. along its face, and including a rounded corner at the north-east. It is 3 ft. wide at its present reduced height, which averages from 2 ft. 6 in. to 5 ft. above the rock floor. The north wall is built upon the edge of a high boulder, which boulder forms the floor of the enclosure on its north side. From north to north-west is an open space enclosed by a Makalanga-built wall which is carried across and blocks up an ancient entrance. From north-west to south the wall is 51 ft. long, and forms part of the north wall of the _Western Temple_. It is 4 ft. 6 in. wide on its present reduced summit, which is very dilapidated, its length including a wide gap. The extreme south-eastern side is formed by the walls supporting the steps from this enclosure to the summit of _The Platform_.

In the south-east corner of this enclosure is a passage leading into the _Cleft Rock Enclosure_. This passage is 10 ft. long, the walls on either side are 6 ft. in height, and the width varies from 2 ft. to 4 ft. 10 in. This passage was only discovered in July, 1902, when it was found to contain a Makalanga grave apparently about twenty years old. The remains were removed and re-interred at the right side of the entrance to the _Cleft Rock Enclosure_. There were traces of steps in this passage, but these had been destroyed by masses of falling débris.

On the east side and at 21 ft. from this passage is a large squared entrance, also leading into _Cleft Rock Enclosure_. This appears to be a reconstruction of an older entrance or a late construction altogether, or possibly a new entrance through an old wall. The entrance is 6 ft. high, 2 ft. 6 in. wide, 7 ft. long, and has squared walls. Most probably this entrance was originally covered, for the remains of slate lintels can be seen on either side in the wall above it, and quantities of long pieces of fractured slate beams were found on its floor.

The area of this enclosure is divided into different levels. The floor on the south-west side for 28 ft. by 14 ft. is formed by the top of a huge flat-topped boulder. The floor at the extreme north is also formed by the top of a boulder. The middle portion between these two floors consists of a depression of some 10 ft. to 14 ft. lower than the rock floors on either side, the lowest portion being at the north-west end.

In this depression, and running from the north-west toward the squared entrance in the east wall, is a deep and narrow passage, the wall of which on the south-west side is the retaining wall for the higher floor on that side. The north-east wall of the passage appears to have been a Makalanga reconstruction of an ancient wall, especially as several of the walls in the immediate vicinity are undoubtedly Makalanga, and claimed by them as such, and, moreover, Makalanga articles were found at the base of its foundation. Still, the wall is so dilapidated that it is difficult to state one’s opinion as to its age. This passage runs west for 72 ft. throughout the length of this enclosure, and passes out on to the _Western Parapet_, which runs along the west base of the west wall of the _Western Temple_. The width of the passage varies from 2 ft. to 4 ft., and with side walls averaging in height 5 ft. to 14 ft. on the south side, and 4 ft. to 7 ft. on the north side. In the description of the newly discovered _North-West Ancient Ascent_, it will be seen that this passage forms an important section in that ascent.

At the south-east corner of the enclosure, and extending for 6 ft. from the east wall, is a small wall of three different faces at different levels all facing north. It was evidently intended to act as a buttress to the steps from _The Platform_ down into the narrow passage between the two side floors of this enclosure.

CLEFT ROCK ENCLOSURE

This enclosure lies to the east of the _Platform Enclosure_, and its west wall is the same as forms the east wall of that enclosure. At all other points its sides are formed by cliffs and large boulders rising to the height of some 50 ft. and 60 ft. The west side is 46 ft. long, and its north and south sides are about 86 ft. each in length, these meeting at their extreme east.

_Cleft Rock_, which is so very often seen in photographs of the Zimbabwe ruins, rises for about 25 ft. above the surface of the enclosure on its north side and extends downwards for 15 ft. below it on the outside. It is 3 ft. 10 in. to 4 ft. 6 in. wide throughout. Possibly it was an ancient ascent from the _Rock Holes Walk_, as a quantity of wall débris lies at its outside base.

All the divisional walls of the interior are undoubtedly of Makalanga construction, and the local Makalanga claim them as having been made early in the time of Mokomo, the previous Zimbabwe chief, whose kraal occupied the north summit of this hill. This remark does not apply to the buttresses on either side of the west entrance.

The enclosure is approached on the south-west by the recently opened passage at the north foot of _The Platform_ steps, also on the west by the squared entrance from the _Platform Enclosure_, and on the south it is believed to have had an entrance through the _Buttress Passage_ (described later). The huge pile of stone-wall débris on the south side was recently stacked here, having been removed from the _Platform Enclosure_ and passage.

THE PLATFORM

This is an elevated position at the east corner of the _Western Temple_, commanding a splendid view of the whole of the interior of the temple and of the surrounding enclosures. It appears to have been erected for the same purposes as were _The Platform_ in the _Elliptical Temple_ in the valley, and the _Ancient Balcony_ in the _Eastern Temple_ on the hill.

Its height is 27 ft. 6 in. above the present floor of the temple, and about 32 ft. above any of its ancient floors. It is 250 ft. above the level of the valley. The summit of _The Platform_ projects out towards the west from the upper face of a huge boulder which forms the west end of the cliffs and boulders which ridge along the summit of this hill.

A wall 2 ft. high and from 1 ft. 10 in. to 2 ft. 6 in. wide runs west from the boulder at the back across the centre of _The Platform_ and terminates in a rounded end overlooking the temple. On the east side of this low wall is an embrasure 3 ft. wide, also overlooking the temple, at the south end of which is a parapet wall now from 1 ft. to 3 ft. high and 12 ft. long, also on the edge of the temple wall. This forms the west side of the approach to _The Platform_ from the south, which is further formed by the _Winding Stairs_.

On the north side of _The Platform_ is a flight of stairs, now considerably ruined by roots of trees forcing out the steps. This flight ascends from the granite rock floor of the _Platform Enclosure_ from between two rounded buttresses. Half-way up the steps pass between two small, low walls, the space between them being 2 ft. These walls are parallel for a few feet, but as the steps descend they round off on each side away from the steps. This flight of stairs is the last and highest section of the _North-West Ancient Ascent_ from the valley where are the large water-holes or dongas (see _North-West Ancient Ascent_).

At the top of these steps and on the east side of _The Platform_ is the celebrated _Dentelle Pattern_.

This ancient wall decoration is the sixth yet discovered in Rhodesia, and until more is known of the similar pattern at Matendele Ruins, it can be tentatively concluded that this pattern on _The Platform_ is by far the best and the most complete specimen extant in Rhodesia.

Its present dimensions are 3 ft. 6 in. wide and 3 ft. 6 in. high, and it consists of four columns of small, shallow blocks laid flat, with corners outwards, and flush with each other, each block thus showing two faces, the whole enclosed on top, bottom, and south sides by an angular frame of large blocks. The north side of the frame has disappeared. It is probable that this pattern once possessed a fifth column of dentelle blocks, as the foundations, providing sufficient space for another column, still remain, and there are more of these small blocks lying in the débris below, each with two faces, generally time-worn. This pattern faces west, but very slightly to the south of west. In the summer of the Southern Hemisphere it exactly faces the setting sun, the great slanting monolith then being between it and the setting sun.

The other special features of _The Platform_ are the _Monoliths_.

Two tall and flat-faced granite monoliths are still standing on _The Platform_, while one slate monolith lies prone on the south floor of _The Platform_, with a few feet of its length projecting over the temple wall. This last monolith is 10 ft. long, and at its centre part is 2 ft. 2 in. in circumference. This monolith is intact.

The heights of the two standing monoliths are: the erect monolith 8 ft. above _The Platform_, and the slanting monolith 11 ft. 6 in., and their respective circumferences are 2 ft. 2 in. and 2 ft. 9 in. The one in front of the _Dentelle Pattern_ slants considerably to due north.[60] Its base, built into the wall, must be of great length to support the enormous weight of this large and slanting slab of granite, especially as this monolith had once been of greater length. The fracture on its top can be seen from the summit of the boulder behind. The fractured portion was found at the foot of the stairs, and this measures 3 ft. 2 in., thus making the exposed portion of the monolith not less than 14 ft. 8 in. in length. There is no evidence of the slanting of the monolith having taken place since its erection.

BALCONY WALL

This is on the south side of _The Platform_, from which it is reached. The top of this wall is level with the top of the _Winding Stairs_, and it forms the western end of _East Passage_, and the eastern wall of the _Western Temple_. It is 21 ft. long and from 4 ft. to 6 ft. wide. Through it is the _Covered Passage_ (see _Western Temple_).

LITTLE ENCLOSURE

This can be seen from the _Balcony Wall_ between the southern end of which and the _Upper Passage_ it lies. It is 8 ft. deep, 5 ft. wide, and 11 ft. long. The entrance appears to have been at outside of the south-western end of the _Upper Passage_. It is almost entirely filled up with débris. It once had a granite cement dado 3 in. thick on its sides, some of which still remain intact. It is from this enclosure that the drain-hole on the west side of the _Upper Passage_ emerges.

THE WINDING STAIRS

These lead from _The Platform_ to the _East Passage_, which again leads to the eastern extremity of the _Acropolis Ruins_. The stairs are 14 ft. long, and descend 8 ft., and are 4 ft. to 6 ft. wide. The wall on the south side is 4 ft. to 7 ft. high as the stairs descend. The wall at the east end is 7 ft. high. The face of a huge boulder forms the north side. The foot of the stairs, where they turn towards the south, is covered by a narrow wall supported by an old wooden beam. This beam is not ancient, but the old Makalanga who occupied these ruins may have inserted it to make the stairs safer to use. Fragments of slate lintel were found in the débris at the foot of the stairs.

UPPER PASSAGE

This passage, which is 28 ft. long, connects the bottom of the _Winding Stairs_ and the south side of the interior of the _Western Temple_. On the east side the wall is from 4 ft. 6 in. to 6 ft. high, and 5 ft. to 10 ft. on the west side. It is 3 ft. 6 in. wide throughout. It is approached at the northern end between buttresses, the one on the west side being round, while the one on the eastern side is rounded on the inner side and angular on the outer side. On the west side are the remains of a drain emerging from the _Little Enclosure_ and a fragment of the slate beam which once carried the wall across it is still to be seen in the hole. This passage, though at the foot of the _Winding Stairs_, is some 8 ft. higher than the present floor of the _Western Temple_.

EAST PASSAGE

This passage is 80 ft. long from the foot of the _Winding Stairs_ to the north side of _South Enclosure C_. At the foot of the _Winding Stairs_ the passage-way turns east, the north side for 13 ft. being a large rounded buttress 6 ft. high. On the south side at this point is the eastern end of the _Covered Passage_ leading up from the floor of the _Western Temple_, and a few feet further east is the northern entrance to the _Upper Passage_.

From the 14 ft. length to the 31 ft. length of the passage going east are remains—only very ruined—of cement steps descending to a lower level. On the south side of this passage are _South Enclosure A_, _South Passage_, and _South Enclosures B and C_. The north side is formed by high, cliff-like boulders. The _Buttress Passage_ starts north at the north side of the 51 ft. length going east. At the entrance to _Buttress Passage_ a tree has lifted up a granite block 6 ft. from the ground. It is firmly fixed in the bark of the tree.

BUTTRESS PASSAGE

This passage runs north and south for 39 ft. between two gigantic cliff-boulders on the summit of the hill. This passage connected the enclosures on the north and south sides of the cliff. The rocks on either side of the passage at its bottom and south end are 50 ft. high on the east side, and 35 ft. high on the west side, and at the upper or north end are from 15 ft. to 20 ft. high. The path ascends throughout its length, and its upper end is 14 ft. above the lower end. The width between the rocks varies from 4 ft. to 6 ft., but the top exit of the path goes between rocks only 3 ft. apart.

The floor between the two cliffs is artificially made, and near the summit it has crowned in, and this crowning-in now bars the ascent to the _Cleft Rock Enclosure_, to which it formed an entrance from the south.

The passage has been considerably narrowed by buttresses alternating on either side, these making the passage a true zigzag. The first buttress at the south end and on the west side is much reduced in height, being now but 1 ft. 6 in. This buttress is angular, and protrudes 2 ft. On the east side is a long rounded buttress, which leaves the passage 2 ft. wide between it and the first buttress. This second buttress is 4 ft. high, 7 ft. long, and protrudes 4 ft., the width of the passage between it and the opposite cliff being 1 ft. 3 in. The third buttress is 17 ft. from the south end of the passage; it is angular, and projects from the west side 2 ft., and is now only 2 ft. 6 in. high. The fourth buttress is angular on the bottom side and rounded on the top side. This projects 3 ft. 6 in. from the west side, and is 5 ft. high. Between the third and fourth buttresses the passage is 2 ft. wide. Above the fourth buttress the floor has crowned in, and on the upper side of the crowning-in is a wall 5 ft. high built across the passage. Judging by block débris, this wall, the summit of which is level with the floor of the _Cleft Rock Enclosure_, was once surmounted by steps.

SOUTH ENCLOSURE A

This enclosure is 51 ft. long from east to west, and is 25 ft. wide at its broadest point. Its shape is that of a long, narrow triangle, the apex resting at its south-east end. Most of the south wall has fallen over the edge of the precipice. There are two rounded entrances on the north side from the _East Passage_. The walls remaining are from 5 ft. to 7 ft. high. There is a drain-hole through the south wall at the south-east corner. The _South Passage_ forms the eastern side. On the west side is a narrow recess between two boulders, and this appears to have been roofed over with slate and granite lintels, but the recess is now blocked up by wall débris. This enclosure appears to have been once divided into two enclosures, as a broken wall, 5 ft. long, 3 ft. high, and 3 ft. 6 in. wide, juts out into the interior from the east side.

SOUTH CAVE

This “cave” hardly deserves the name of cave, but as previous writers gave it this designation the title is retained in this description.

The cave is situated immediately under _South Enclosure A_, and it opens on to the actual brink of the south precipice, being approached from both west and east sides by a path built along the top slope of the precipice. It is formed by a large boulder 16 ft. high and 17 ft. long, and is between this boulder and the top of the precipice, the floor being the natural rock of the declivity. It recedes but 3 ft. to 6 ft. under the boulder and is 7 ft. wide. It is 5 ft. high on the outside and only 1 ft. 6 in. to 2 ft. at its innermost part. It has been thoroughly cleaned out, but nothing of any antiquarian value was found. The boulder beetles outwards towards the face of the precipice.

Immediately in front of this cave and on the south side and at 4 ft. distance a wall averaging 8 ft. in height runs for 37 ft. towards the west. The boulder which forms the cave beetles outwards over this wall, and judging by the block débris, the wall was once continued up to, and connected with, the rock above. This wall at its western extremity has a well-built rounded end in a good state of preservation.

On the north side and starting at 10 ft. from the cave and running west for 46 ft. is a wall 8 ft. high with a rounded end at its eastern extremity. It starts from the face of the boulder forming the cave, and is continued until it reaches the interior of the _Western Temple_.

These two walls form a passage averaging a width of 4 ft., though at the end of the south wall it narrows to 2 ft. 6 in. In the passage are traces of granite cement steps. This passage on entering the _Western Temple_ is directly end on with the _Parallel Passage_, which is on the inside of the main south wall and is separated from it only by the gap in the outer wall, the main wall having at this point fallen down the precipice and taken with it the side wall of the passage from the cave. It is almost certain that this passage was but the extension of the _Parallel Passage_.

On the eastern side of the cave is a built-up space between the boulder forming the cave and another boulder further east which beetles parallel to the precipice for 13 ft. This wall is 10 ft. high and is 6 ft. across.

The path to the east passes under this outer and beetling boulder, and between the outer side of _South Enclosure A_ and the edge of the precipice, but here it is so much dilapidated by wall débris falling from above, that the safer approach to the cave is from the _Western Temple_.

On the summits of these two large boulders are traces of a substantial wall once having been carried across them.

SOUTH PASSAGE

This passage is almost opposite the south end of _Buttress Passage_ and leads from the _East Passage_ to the edge of the south precipice, dividing _South Enclosures A and B_. It is 38 ft. long, from 1 ft. 6 in. to 2 ft. wide, and at each extremity has rounded ends on either side. The wall on the east side averages 3 ft. to 7 ft. in height, the highest being at the southern end. The wall on the west side averages 7 ft. to 12 ft. in height.

The existence of this passage was, until July, 1902, unsuspected, as it had been filled up and entirely covered over with wall débris, across which was the visitors’ path, which crossed the débris at 7 ft. above the present exposed floor.

SOUTH ENCLOSURE B

This enclosure is on the east side of _South Passage_, and overlooks the south precipice. Its area is 37 ft. from east to west, and 31 ft. from north to south. The wall on the north side is 16 ft. high, and 4 ft. 6 in. wide at 5 ft. from the floor, and is the best-built portion now remaining. It has three rounded entrances, one from _South Passage_ and two from _East Passage_. Low walls of poor construction subdivide the enclosure into three compartments, but some portions of these walls are not believed to be ancient.

SOUTH ENCLOSURE C

This is on the north-east side of _South Enclosure B_, but on a level of some 6 ft. higher. The area is 41 ft. from east to west, and 19 ft. from north to south. The eastern wall curves outwards, and is 9 ft. high. The north side is formed by a large boulder, the west side by a raised parapet which is the eastern extremity of _East Passage_. There is one entrance only, and this is in the south-western corner. Here the south wall is very well built. A wall 3 ft. 6 in. high and 9 ft. long juts out southwards from the boulder on the north side.

CENTRAL PASSAGE

This passage connects _Cleft Rock Enclosure_ and the _Eastern Temple_ and forms the most direct communication between the western and eastern extremities of the _Acropolis_. This passage is practically the north-east extension of _Pattern Passage_, the two joining end on at the west entrance to the _Eastern Temple_. Cliffs and huge boulders form the main portion of its sides.

Its length is 76 ft., and its width varies from 3 ft. to 4 ft. 6 in. There is a sharp rise of 6 ft. going west, at about half-way along its length.

At the eastern end it lies between two large boulders, the one on the north side being 12 ft. long and 10 ft. high. This boulder has fallen from the position it occupied at the time of the ancients, and is come 6 ft. further south, destroying and blocking up the west entrance to the _Eastern Temple_. The boulder on the south side is 8 ft. long and 14 ft. high, and up against it, and projecting into the passage, was once a rounded buttress, traces of which now only remain.

At 22 ft. going west is another large boulder, which forms the south side of the passage for a further 24 ft. This rock beetles right over the passage, and the open space under the boulder has been carefully walled up. At 48 ft. the south side is formed for a further 14 ft. by a low wall, in which are enclosed two boulders. On this side wall are the remains of a path leading from the passage to _South Enclosure C_, but a portion of this has crowned in and disappeared.

The north side of the passage from its eastern end is formed by the boulder, 12 ft. long, just described, and for a further 35 ft. by a step-back wall 8 ft. high, along the summit of which was a path with steps leading into the _Eastern Temple_, but now blocked up by large scales of granite which have fallen from the face of the cliff above.

The western extremity of this passage is formed by two boulders, one on either side, the one on the south side leaning up against the one on the north side, thus forming a natural arch 14 ft. long and 10 ft. high, the path descending about 4 ft. in passing through the archway, and rising sharply again where it emerges on the opposite end of the archway into _Cleft Rock Enclosure_, and runs for 27 ft. further west into the enclosure, where it ends on the south side in a rounded wall 5 ft. high. Large rocks form the north side. In the archway and on the south side under the boulder is a rock hole 5 ft. broad, 4 ft. deep, extending under the base of the boulder for 6 ft.

In the passage are traces of steps, but the passage has been greatly damaged by falls of large slabs from the cliffs.