Great Zimbabwe, Mashonaland, Rhodesia: An account of two years' examination work in 1902-4 on behalf of the government of RhodesiaHall, R. N. (Richard Nicklin)
History
Great Zimbabwe, Mashonaland, Rhodesia: An account of two years' examination work in 1902-4 on behalf of the government of Rhodesia
Hall, R. N. (Richard Nicklin)
Great Zimbabwe (Extinct city); Zimbabwe -- Antiquities
From this point is gained one of the finest and most extensive views
in Rhodesia. It extends over M’Chibi district, the valley of the Tokwe,
the Belingwe Hills, the Selukwe Hills, and the high ground further to
the west and north-west. Three hundred feet directly below is Mogoma’s
new kraal and the adjoining village of Passi. Anyone staying a few days
at Zimbabwe should not miss visiting this spot. The path from Zimbabwe
leads past Motumi’s and Masua’s kraals, ascending all the way. Any of
the “boys” at Mogabe’s kraal would act as guide, but on arrival at
the hill it would be well to send for Mogoma, or one of his headmen,
as this would dispense with the necessity of descending some hundreds
of feet to the valley, in addition to which the approach to the ledge
being hidden among large rocks, it is difficult to reach it without a
local guide.
_A jaunt along the Zimbabwe and Motelekwe ancient road._—One often
wondered along what part of the country on the south or east of
Great Zimbabwe lay the ancient road from the coast to this old-world
metropolitan centre. Several suggestions more or less possible have
been made since the preoccupation days as to the ancient road. That
the ruins at Mapaku (the caves), seven miles distant towards the
south-east, formed one of the posting stations on such a road may be
considered as highly probable. Visitors have generally favoured the
conjecture that the road from Zimbabwe to Mapaku must have passed to
the north of the Beroma Range, which, seen from Zimbabwe, from which it
is two miles distant, forms a continuous granite rampart some 600 ft.
high, four miles long, and about one and a half miles broad, stretching
from north to south. This range appears to present a solid obstacle
to any approach from Zimbabwe. A detour round its north end and along
its eastern base as far as Mapaku would make the distance at least ten
miles. Moreover, on this line the kopjes and valleys have recently
been thoroughly searched for any traces of ancient occupation, and
none have been found. This therefore shows that such suggested route,
had it actually been the ancient road, would have been altogether
undefended for ten miles in an awkward country where the valleys,
gorges, kloofs, and boulders would have provided splendid vantage
points for attacks on the gold- and ivory-laden convoys proceeding from
Zimbabwe to the coast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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