Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1896-07-22
SOUTH AFRICAN RUINS.
Buildings at Zimbabwe That May Be OF
King Solomon's Time.

King Solomon's Time.
It would seem that at some far
distant date people more civilized
than any of the present Kaffir tribes
had penetrated into the region we
now call Mashonaland and had
maintained itself there for a consid-
cradle period. Remains of gold
workings are found in many parts
of that country, and even as far as
the southwestern part of Matabele-
land-remains which show that
mining must have been carried on,
by primitive methods no doubt, but
still upon scale larger than we can
we'll deem within the capabilities of
the Kaffir tribes as we now see
them. There are, moreover, in these
regions. and usually not far from
some old gold working, pieces of
ancient buildings executed with
neatness and finish, as we'll as with
an attempt at artistic effect, which
are entirely absent from the rough
walls, sometimes of loose stones,
sometimes plastered with mud,
which the Kafirs build today.
These old buildings are, with one
exception, bits of wall inclosing
forts or residences. They are con-
structed of small blocks of granite
Of the country, carefully trimmed
to be of one size, and are usually Or
namented with a simple pattern,
such as the so called "herringbone"
pattern. The one exception is to be
found in the ruins of Tim babwe,
in southern Mashonaland. Here a
wall 80 feet high and from + to 10
or IA feet thick inoloses a large clip
tical space, filed with other build
ings, some of which apparently
we're intended for the purposes of
worship
There are no Inscriptions of any
kind and few objects, except some
rudely carved heads of birds, to sup
ply any indication as to the ethno-
logical afinities of the people who
erected this building or as to the
nature of their worship. Such indi-
cations as we have, however, sug-
gest that it was some form of nature
worship, including the worship of
the sun. We know from other
sources, including the Egyptian
and the Old testament,
that there was from very early times
q trade between the Red sea and |
some part of east Africa, and as we |
know also that the worship of nat
ural forces and of the sun prevailed |
among the early Semites the view
that the builders of Zim babwe were
Of Arab or some other Semitic stock
Is at least highly plausible.
Two things are quite clear, to every
0ne who examines the ruins and
compares them with the smaller
of ancient buildings al
ready mentioned. Those who built
L4Ab OoO"O WO4O @ 1CCO SUI
perior to the Bantu tribes, whose
mud huts are now to be found not
Ear from these still strong and solid
walls, and those other remains SCAT
;ered through the country were
either the work of that same supe-
'ior race or, at any rate, were built
n imitation of their style and under
he influence they had left. But
this race was driven out or
oeaceably withdrew or became by
degrees absorbed and lost in the
surrounding Bantu population we
lave no data for con lecture. If they
,ame from Arabia, they must have
,ome more than 10 centuries ago,
before the days of Mohammed, for
hey were evidently not Mussul-
mans, and it is just as easy to sup
Jose that they came in the days of
solomon, Is centuries earlier. -
James Bryce, M. P, in Century.
Ripans Tabules cure constipation.