The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1896-10-06
SOUTH AFRICAN RUINS.
Buildings at Zimbabwc that May Re
OF King Soiomon's Time.

II would seem that. at some far dis
tant da To- a pcoplc more civilized than
any OF the present Kadr tribes had
penetrated into the region we now call
Newfoundland. and had maintained IL
SELF there for considerable period. Re
nains OF gold workings are found IN
many parts or that country. and even
rs FAR ~ the southwestern part of
MatRbeleland remains which show
that mining must have been carried on.
10y primitive methods no doubt. but still
upon scale larger than we can well
deem within the capabilities OF the
kaiir tribes as we now see them. There
are. moreover. In these regions. and
usually not far from some old gold
working. pieces of ancient building exc
cutcd with ncatncss and finish, as
well as with an attempt at artistic eff
feet which are entirely absent from the
rough walls, sometimes of loose stones.
sometimes plastered with mud, which
the kuiirs build to-day.
These old buildings are, with one cx-
ccpuon, bits of wall Incloslug forts or
residences. They are constructed OF
small blocks OF the granite OF the cuun-
try. carefully trimmed TO I've of one size.
and are usually ornamentcd with
simple pattern. such rs the so-callcd
"hcrringbOne" pattern. The one excep-
tion ~ To Ice found i'm the ruins OF Xim-
babwc, In southern Mashopaland Here
a wall thirty feet high. and from six To
twelve or fourteen feet thick, inCioscs a
large elliptical space, filled with other
buildings, some OF which apparently
were intended FOR the purposes OF wor.
ship. There are no Inscriptions of any
kind. and few objects. except Somc
rudcly carved heads OF birds. to supply
any Indication as to the chronological
aiiiriticS of the people who erected this
building, or as To the nature OF their
worship. such indications rs we have.
however, suggest that il was some form
OF nature Worship including the woI-
ship of the sun. We know from other
sources Including the Egyptian monu-
ments and the Old TESTAMENT that
there was from very early times trado
between the Red Sea and some part of
East Africa; and ms we know also that
the worship of natural forces and of the
sun prevailed among the early Scmitcs.
W. ~ " rlstl Inv bNlllIflN III /slllllhillN
were of Arab or some other Semitic
stock, Is at least highly plausible.
Two things are quite clear TO every
one who examines the ruins, and com.
parcs them with the smaller fragments
of ancient building already mentioned
ThoS" who built Zimbabwe were race
much superior to the Bantu tribes.
whose mud huis are now To he found
not far from these still strong and solid
walls; ana those other remains scatter.
ed through the country were either the
work Of that same superior race or, n
any rate. were built in imitation Of their
style and under the influence they had
left. But whether this race was driver
out or peaceably withdrew. or became
by degrees absorbed and lost I'm the
surrounding Bantu population. we have
no data for conjecture If they camo
from Arabia they must have come moro
than twelve centuries ago. before tho
days of Mohammed; for they were cvi
IDENTIFY not MuSsulmans. and 1t is just
rs easy to suppose that they came in
the days OF solomon, fifteen ccnturics
notwithstanding.