514 I-UIUDESIAX RUINS. 



that Klianii contains all kinds of architecture from the best pre- 

 historic Zimbabwe period down to the most recent Kafir hut, 

 while Bombusi of the same kind is thus far younger, one won- 

 ders on ^vhat evidence the various styles of architecture are 

 separated and assigned to distinct dates, and on what grounds 

 such separation is upheld. Apart altogether from native tradi- 

 tion, we have the testimony of the buildings themselves. Messrs. 

 Garbutt and Johnson, in an article in Alan for July, 1912, gave 

 cogent reasons for regarding a five-chambered hut at Khami, of 

 which tlie}" give a plan, as contemporary with the Avails them- 

 selves, as it was built on the same principle and in the same 

 way. Many such huts inside various ruins in the country were 

 recklessly destroyed because they were considered to be long 

 subsequent to the walls, as of native origin, and therefore worth-^ 

 less as archaeological data. Treasure hunters and R. N. Hall 

 bimself admit having destroyed some, thus their evidence is not 

 now available for settling the dates of the various ruins. 

 I again quote ]\Ir. Hemans : 



Siawanka buiU Iiis town at the Bombusi in imitation of Ziml)ab\ve,. 

 which, although they have never seen it, the Abenanzwa describe as of 

 great size. They say that their ancestors buih Zim])abwe (which is a 

 name only, with no meaning, saying it was the place of the Mambo). 

 Prior to their trek into ^Nlatabeleland, which they made by way of 

 Selukwe, they had already lost the name of Zimbabwe, and had been in 

 the haliit of speaking of the place as " Maduiia a ka Mainbo " or Xfaba 

 ^i ka .Ma'iihi->:' by which name they called their new settlement at Inyati.* 



That the natives have not lost the art of building in dressed 

 stone several competent observers have assured us. I shall 

 quote only one, namely Mr. F. C". Selous : 



Whilst speaking of these carefully fitted stone foundations on which 

 to build huts, I may mention that in the centre of Umtasa's deserted town 

 on the Chodzani River — a town which he built himself, and from whicli 

 he was driven a few years ago by the Abagaza — will be found a similar 

 hut foundation, very carefuli}' built of small slabs of granite beautifully 

 fitted without mortar or cement, w'hich proves that the art of building 

 w^alls of carefully-l'.tted granite stones is not even yet dead among the 

 Mashunas. ... About half a mile from this old walled town was the 

 burial place of Chipadzi, one side of which was enclosed by a beautifully- 

 built wall about 10 feet high, of evenly-laid and squared granite stones. 

 most carefully htted together without mortar or cement of any kind. This 

 wall was an exact facsimile of the best-built portions of the great Zim- 

 babwe, and no otie who has examined both these relics of a bygone age 

 can doubt for an instant that thej' were both built by the "same race of 

 people-1 



]Mr. Selous further says that the builders of Zimbabwe were 

 very rude people, possessing no instruments of precision for lay- 

 ing down accurate lines, and this is exactly the same impression 

 that has been made upon others. It is rare that one finds a wall 

 for any considerable distance quite straight. I have examined 

 most carefully the buildings at Zimbabwe, Khami, and 

 Selukwe. near where Mr. Selous found the old shaft 



"^H. N. Hemans: "History of the Abenanzwa Tribe." — Proc. Rhodesia 

 Scicnfiiic Association. 12, 91. 



Selous: "Travels and Adventure in South-East Africa." .^40. 

 \ 



