R. N. (Richard Nicklin) Hall - Great Zimbabwe, Mashonaland, Rhodesia

THE CONICAL TOWER, ELLIPTICAL TEMPLE, GREAT ZIMBABWE

First Published in 1905

THE VOLUME IS DEDICATED
TO THE MEMORY OF
THE LATE THEODORE BENT, F.R.G.S.
EXPLORER OF GREAT ZIMBABWE, 1891
AND AUTHOR OF
THE RUINED CITIES OF MASHONALAND

IN preparing this detailed description of the ruins of Great Zimbabwethe first given to the world in modern timesthe author has aimed at permitting the actual ruins themselves to relate their own story of their forgotten past unweighted by any consideration of the many traditions, romances, and theories whichespecially during the last decadehave been woven concerning these monuments.

The only apology offered for this apparently lengthy Preface is the mention of the fact that the operations at Great Zimbabwe were carried on for six months after the text of this volume had been sent to the publishers in England. The Preface, therefore, thus affords an opportunity of bringing down the results of these operations to a recent date.

The recent examination of the district surrounding the ruins now shows the Ruins Area to be far larger than either Mr. Theodore Bent (1891) or Sir John Willoughby (1892) supposed. Instead of the area being confined to 945 yds. by 840 yds., it is now known to be at least 2 miles by 1 miles, and even this larger limit is by no means final, as traces of walls and of walls buried several feet under the veld have been discovered, not only in Zimbabwe Valley, but in the secluded valleys and gorges and on the hillsides which lie a mile and even two miles beyond the extended area. Huge mounds, many hundred feet in circumference, with no traces of ruins, covered with large full-grown trees and with the remains on the surface of very old native huts, on being examined have been found to contain well-built ruins in which were unearthed small conical towers, gold ornaments, a few phalli, and in one instance a carved soapstone bird on a soapstone beam 4 ft. 8 in. high, which is more perfect and more ornate than any other soapstone bird on beam yet found at Zimbabwe. The examination of such spots and of all traces of walls which lie at the outer edge of the extended Ruins Area would, even with a large gang of labourers, occupy almost a lifetime.