The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-10-08
ii.


Who were the builders Of Zimbabwe? After
q careful analysis OF the ruins and Of all
the objects found in them. Mr.. Bent
reaches the following conclusion. which. al
though explicit In a negative direction. re-
mains tentative and indefinite on the positive
side. 1t is pronounced incredible that such
style OF architecture and such o civilization as
these remains reveal could have originated
and been developed In South Africa. for such a
development would have required n very long
time. and would have implied at least long
and peaceful settlement in the country.
Now 1t is manifest that although the builders
OF Zimbabwe may have long possessed the
place. they never considered the country as
their own. This Is clear from tho nature OF
their detences and the strength OF their forth
flcations. Had they lived long enough in the
land to alter or develop any Of their arts inde-
pently OF their mother country. they would
have left deeper mark on their surround
ings. Living. rs they must have lived in per-
petual vigilance and terror. they could not
have improved In civilization or evolved any OF
its arts. and we must assume that they drew
their architecture as well as their religion
from the land which sent them forth as gold
seekers. Mr. Bent holds that the balance
OF probabilities points to southwestern
Arabia as tho land from which they came.
and he believes that when 1t and Abyssinia.
with which it WAS SO long associated, are het-
ter known, We may find there ruined temples
built OF similar small stones. and with similar
peculiarities IN their construction.
At present our Information with regard
to these countries Is meagre. but 1t ia sug-
gested that some Of the buildings known
to exist in Yemen. which are said to combine
temple and fortress In one. may have boon
erected by the samo race that constructed
Zimbabwe. and the elliptic temples at Mariz
and Slrwah and at Nakab al Hajar. with their
north and south doorways seeming to indi-
cate an observation OF the meridian. may
embody some Of the mathematical PRINCIPLES
exempliled In the ruins OF Mashonaland.
When tine original builders OF Iimbabwe
have been traced to their homo. 1t will remain
to discover who were their SUCCESSORS In
Mashonaland that rebuilt the western wall of
the great temple and some portions Of other
buildings. for the author Of this book deems 1t
certain that this was not done by any OF the
present negro races.
A study OF the ancient gold workings in
Mashonaland convinced MIR. Bent that the
process ON ployed by tho builders OF Iimbabwe
was identical with that employed by the an
cient Egyptians for crushing. smelling. and
forming into ingots. He compares his observa-
lions with he record OF the Egyptian methods
transmitted TO us Dy DlOuOTub Inc identity
OF the processes. as we'll as OF the ingots which
formed the final products. viewed in conjunc-
tion with the vast amount OF evidence relating
to the cult. art. and architecture OF Zim-
babwe. constitutes. In Mr. Bent's opinion. sat
isfactory proof that Mashonaland was one.
at least. OF the sources from which
came tho gold OF Arabia aud that the forts and
towns which ran throughout the gold produc-
ing region were made to protect tho miners
sent from southwestern Arabia. or from its
Abyssinian colonies. Our author holds. how
ever. not only that the gold diggers OF the
country uncer review were OF Arabian oriRin.
but that their first arrival must be placed be-
foro the Sabieo- Himyaritc period. He would
refer the first settlers in Mashonaland 10 a
dato contemporansous with tho middle en-
pre In Egypt and considerably earlier than
tho rise of Sidon to commercial greatness.
1t 10 we'll known that tho Bible is full Of al
usions to the wealth OF Arabia In gold and
all. atA