Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-09-20
The Ruins of Khami.

KIM Solomon and Hiram of Tyre sent
out parties who brought back gold.
The Ruins of Khami.
Before / describe the remains of the
famous temples al Zimbabwe in Mashona-
land | want 10 tell you about the ruins
of Khami which lie within twelve miles
of this city of Bulawayo, and which any
one may reach by horse, bicycle or auto
mobile. They are right on the edge of Il
river surrounded by hills in which are
troops of ba boOns There are antelopeS.
lemurs and squirrels among the rocks,
and there is no sign of mans habitation
nearby. The remains of the walls of
the ancient buildings can be seen in
many places. They are composed of
granite blocks. some of which are laid
together in a checker-board pattern. The
houses of these ancients were circular
and they seem to have been formed by
granite paste which was hardened by
burning. There are the remains of other
circular buildings between this city and
Gwelo: and the ruins at Mombo are al
most as interesting those of Zimbabwe.
The remains at Zimbabwe lie about 100
miles from Salisbury and between 2e0 and
800 miles from BulawayO. They consist
of a great temple, some large fOrtitiCa-
to have been in existence when the mines
were in full operation. South of the
temple are steps which led to goldsmelt
ing furnaces and caves. and in the mu
scum here at Bulawayo they show
crucibles which were found there and
which belonged to these ancients. Some
OF the crucibles have the gold still in
them, and there are other relics which
show the old methods of gold working.
There also sheets of fine gold which
came from Zimbabwe. links of gold wire
no thicker than a thread and an ingot
of solid gold about an inch long and
fourth of an inch thick. The ingot seems
to have been a piece or the money of
those days. There were also copper
chains. beautifully made. and ingOts of
tin. although SO far no tin deposits have
been discovered neal by.
The Zimbabwe ruins are on the high
plateau of Mashonaland, about twO-thirds
of a mile above the sea. They are con-
nected with other ruins which run the
whole length of the western side Of the
Sabi river and are in almost all cases
within a short distance of quartz reefs
containing gold. At Zimbab we itself
the ruins cover a large area. There is
a great temple $50 feet long. the wall of
which at one point is 30 feet high and IS
feet thick at the base. This wall is made
up of small blocks of granite, with uni
form facings, laid up dry. The stones
fit so closely that there is comparatively
no vegetation upon the ruins; 1t was
uldde WITHOUT mortar OF cement L ms
is so notwithstanding the floor is of ce
ment of powdered granite. There are
two round towers In the Enclosure. which
seem to have been erected monuments.
They are sold. and the larger one is
thirty-ive feet high. The rest of the cir
cular building is divided up into smaller
Enclosures, and some scientists say that
the whole bears evidence of having been
used by people like the Phoenicians.
The remains of another temple have
al
little more than the cement floor existed
when the excavators uncovered them
The floor was supported by under walls.
In its center was altar made of small
granite blocks and under the altar was
found the remains of Phallic worship and