Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-01-12
BY ERNST KOTZ.

| Slowly our caravan moves in single
file through the plains of Mashonaland
in Southern Rhodesia. YEARLY our
eyes move about, searching for some
thing to break the monotony; but all
we see is just the usual African scenery
sweet potato and corn fields, low
huts and Negro children playing on the
roads under the supervision of en- old
grandfather. who is too feeble to work
in the fields with the rest Of the viii
layers.
Suddenly our native guide points to
queer-looking rocks and ruins ahead. OF
us and says, "zimbabwe!"
Great Zimbabwe!-the site of the
most ancient ruins thus far discovered
In Rhodesia. Surrounded by ranges OF
high, misty blue mountains and innum-
cradle huge granite blocks, it seems to
be fortified against the curious eyes OF
modern explorers and travellers.
| The sight of these ancient ruins in
this environment comes so Unexpectedly
that it takes ones breath away.
Strange and un-African Is the picture
Even the full blaze of the African sun
does not dispel the darkness that en-
CULTS the origin and early history of
"the houses of stone" Mystery" seems
to be written all over the high stone
| walls, the huge temple towers and mar
built those strange edihces? Who
moved the millions of stones? Were
they native slaves under the supervision
of light-skinned invaders from the
north? Were they emissarieS of King
,, Solomon or the Queen OF Sheba? Or
are these awe-inspiring ruins OF Zim-
babwe witnesses and remains OF an
ancient African Bantu civilization, long
since forgotten? Who were the genius
masons who, without using the least
bit of mortar. piled UP the neatly hewn
stones to form towers more than 80
feet high and walls Is feet wide at the
base?
Fertility Cult Indicated.
What cult was exercised in the clip
tical temple, with its many sacred in
closures and high towers? Was it. as
many scientists believe, place where
phalhc or nature worship was prac-
ticed? The many tell-tale symbols,
fine specimens of phaln, male and fe-
male emblems Of fertility, seem to point
in that direction. They are similar to
others found on the Mediterranean
coast in Phoenician temples and all
over India In the Roman fertility cult
these phalli played an important role.
Even in modern days peasant women
symbols in religious proceSsions-a rem
nant of old heather, superstitious ideas
and phallic cults
The conical towers apparently did
not serve any practical purpose. They
were inside the holy Enclosures. and
as for having an outlook, such could
much better be obtained from the outer
walls These, too. were apparently
| symbols in connection with the fertil-
| ity cult referred to above. il Of these
/ structures show an absolute foreign
character and point to Phoenician and
Semitic races as the builders rather
than to any Bantu tribe of Africa.
Scientists who have dug through the
different layers of dirt that cover the
original ground floor of the ruins have
established the theory that the temple
has been occupied at different periods
by different chronological groups, who
| have left enough testimonies of their
| respective civilizations to give proof to
! such a theory. It is on the original
ground floor that beautifully made gold
ornaments were found and large, en-
| graved, soapstone bowls, engraved gold
tacks, ferrules, knobs, gold bangles and
| other golden articles (many Of them
now on exhibit in South African mu-
seun1s). which evidence the great age
| of the ruins. So those learned Arab
merchants were right when they told
| the Portuguese in 1905 that the temple
(already in ruins) was, in their con-
ception, very ancient. I understand
| that they also found an inscription over
one of the entrances which they were
unable to decipher.
Priests Used Secret Passage.
Many interesting features of the tenn
! ple could be spoken Of. ! Will only
mention two-the parallel passage and
| the cheyron pattern on the outer wall.
| The parallel passage Is 22O feet In
! length and from to 10 feet In width.
| The main wall Is rs to 81 feet high
| Apparently it allowed the priests OF the
sacred rites to gain secret access 70
| the inner Enclosures from the OUTSIDE;
The ancient chevron pattern Is said
| to be often found on Egyptian monu-
ments and Phoenician coins. IL was
also the symbol of fertility and appears
on the upper portions OF the east out
| side wall.
Innumerable facts make it almost
| certain that gold mining was the oc-
cupation of the ancient tnhabitantS OF
zimbabwe. Scientists estimate the pre-
historic output Of gold in RnodeSia 70
have been enormous. The acropons OF
fortress (built on hill and made prac.
|
very long defense walls that inclose the
ruins, make many believe that repre-
| sentatives of a foreign race, maybe
| Semites or Phoenicians, took advantage
/ of Rhodesia's riches in gold. They
must have either subdued or hired the
| local Bantu people, because one can
| not but feel impressed that an I'M
mense number of workmen must have
been needed for the task alone OF
4 A4 aT
| granite blocks to the top OF the acrop-
/ oils hill, 200 feet above the Zimbabwe
ruins, to build the fortress there. We
must speak of the acropolis in another
article.
was the gold stored in that fortress
until the caravan was ready to trans
port the precious metal to the coast?
Were they Solomon's men? Were the
hands that hewed the stones and built
the marvellous edifices hands Of Bantu
slaves or of workmen brought along to
not only to their masters, but also to
them, so that there could be no
treachery?
Tribal Disaster Hinted.
Some scientists have discovered signs
which indicate that the mines were left
in a great hurry by the ancient oper-
ators. Piles of gold quartz had been
raised to the surface, but were left I'M
crushed. Did boards Of Bantu war
riors from the north come upon them
with the force of hurricane. shatter-
ing the resistance of the mine owners
and banning their military skill? Such
migrations of nations have taken place
in Africa, as well as in Europe, and
have been similarly catastrophal to
many of her tribes.
AS I wondered about in the mys-
terious Enclosures of the Zimbabwe
temple and looked from the acropolis
hill over the ruins. thought surely, II
these stones could talk, they would tell
u L.. - ~ IL