Introduction ............................................................................... 2

Lodge At The Ancient City

Welcome to the Lodge ........................................................... 4Information for guests ........................................................... 6How to get there .................................................................... 10Map of the Lodge ................................................................... 11Lodge illustrations ................................................................. 12Sheppard`s Hotel ................................................................... 14

Great Zimbabwe

Who built Great Zimbabwe? .............................................. 16Great Zimbabwe explained ................................................. 19Map of Great Zimbabwe ...................................................... 21References ................................................................................ 28Poetry ........................................................................................ 30A Drawing by a student ....................................................... 37Stories from Great Zimbabwe ............................................ 38The Soapstone Birds .............................................................. 42 Geology ..................................................................................... 43

Fauna and Flora

Mammals .................................................................................. 47Birds ........................................................................................... 48Lizards ........................................................................................ 54Trees ........................................................................................... 55Flowers ...................................................................................... 62Butterflies ................................................................................ 66

Miscellaneous

Acknowledgements .............................................................. 70 Reservation details ................................................................ 70

CONTENTS

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INTRODUCTION

The year was 1200 AD. Europe was emerging from the decay and despair of the middle ages but had yet to set forth on her conquests in America, India, Australia and Africa. Pope Innocent 11 was about to launch the Fourth Crusade, spelling the end of Constantinople and the great Byzantine Empire. Far to the east a 38 year old named Genghis Khan was preparing to unleash his Mongol hordes on an unsuspecting Asian continent.

Almost unnoticed by the rest of the world, deep in the African interior, a great city of stone was rising amongst the granite hills and wooded valleys of what is present day Zimbabwe. For more than three hundred years this settlement thrived and grew as the capital of a vast cattle, gold and ivory trading empire. At its peak, it was one of Africa’s most eminent cities with twenty thousand people living within sight of its towering walls. Arab and Swahili merchants brought beads and textiles from the Middle East and ceramics and glassware from Asia. Priests and prophets conducted rituals within the stone enclosures while from high upon a tumbled granite fortress, the nation’s spirits spoke through powerful mediums. Wars were waged, art and architecture flourished, dynasties reigned and were overthrown.

As with all such ‘golden eras’ history soon swept past the empire and by the end of the fifteenth century the city was in decline, its markets and bazaars silent, its narrow stone passages and open courtyards echoing only to the glories

of its distant past. But although forsaken, the city was not entirely forgotten. Stories of its existence and former grandeur surfaced from time to time, vague references from early Arabic and Portuguese texts puzzled and intrigued European scholars while local tribes people tantalised explorers with shadowy yarns and half remembered tales of archaic splendour amid lost ruins. They spoke of a colossal city of stone, of crumbling towers of granite blocks, of vine covered walls rising out of dense undergrowth, of golden jewellery and clay vessels and birds carved in rock. They spoke of the legends and mysteries of the ‘great houses of stone’. They spoke of ‘Great Zimbabwe’.

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LODGE AT THE ANCIENT CITYWelcome to the Lodge

Welcome to Great Zimbabwe. Welcome to the Lodge At The Ancient City.

This booklet is your guide to and memento of your visit to the stone city of Great Zimbabwe, the largest and most spectacular ancient structure in sub- Saharan Africa, and to the Lodge At The Ancient City, one of the most unique and beautifully designed lodges ever constructed.

Within these pages lie a wealth of information on subjects ranging from history and geology to birds, mammals, lizards, flowers, trees and poetry,

If you are reading this guide book in the hope that one day you will be able to visit Great Zimbabwe, lean back, read on, and dream of the days to come when you will alight at the majestic stone entrance to the Lodge At The Ancient City.

But if you have just arrived let the staff show you to your room; then walk up to the magnificent raised pool deck, which commands wonderful views over a wooded valley and onto the Great Enclosure. Pull up a chair, order a drink and sit back with this guide book and learn a little about this fascinating and beautiful area.

Later a guide will show you around Great Zimbabwe. As you walk through the monument you will find that the ruins are cloaked in a compelling atmosphere of African antiquity, an enigmatic aura of power and achievement and mystery. The stone blocks lie one upon the other in endless rows, the towering corridors and stairways lead to empty courtyards, the passages and gently curving walls curl and twist around the natural boulders in intimate embrace.

Today the ancient city is deserted and locked in combat with the grinding forces of nature that inexorably return it to the earth. Its architects and inhabitants have long gone, taking with them their skills and secrets, their rites and rituals. The paths and walkways, the alcoves and the platforms, the pillars and terraces that once

resonated to the sounds of the bustling city now stand in muted silence.

The real splendour of Great Zimbabwe is forever lost, no record remains of the names of its kings, of their victories and achievements, of the lives of its people and their daily triumphs or despairs. But find a quiet place within the city walls, place your hand upon the cool lichen covered granite blocks and feel the distant memory of the Ancient City.

The Lodge at the Ancient City

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Information for Guests

Situated upon a wooded granite outcrop close to Great Zimbabwe is Lodge At The Ancient City. Looking out across a valley of Msasa trees and on to the Great Enclosure at the ancient city itself, the lodge offers the perfect setting from which to explore one of Africa’s most priceless archaeological treasures.

Enormous care was taken with the design and construction of the lodge to ensure that it is in harmony not only with its immediate surroundings but that it also captures and reflects the essence of Great Zimbabwe itself. Stone walls arch gracefully over colossal granite boulders; rock monoliths emerge from the retain-ing walls and everywhere are emblems and motifs of ancient Zimbabwean origin.Due to the granite nature of the site, the Lodge facilities are on several different levels. An open air dining area offers spectacular views across the tree tops with an adjacent rock enclosed swimming pool set beneath a tumbling waterfall. The

View of Great Zimbabwe from the Lodge

lounge / bar / dining rooms are contained beneath a single massive thatched roof, a notable feature of this complex being the huge rounded boulders that form an integral part of its overall architecture.

Accommodation at the Lodge takes the form of nineteen thatched chalets scattered throughout the well wooded grounds. Each of the chalets has been hand ochred in traditional style while the interiors feature raised stone platforms. All the rooms contain two double beds, overhead fans, insect gauzed windows and full en suite facilities. There are two family chalets with extra beds for children.

Original artifacts from all over the continent have been gathered to adorn the walls of the Lodge in a celebration of African artistry and innovation.

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Historical guides are available to take guests on detailed walks through Great Zimbabwe. Through their narratives, the guides recreate for their guests the life of the Ancient City, its origins, history and traditions. They discuss the city’s architecture, its trading activities with the Middle East and Asia, its religious practices and the theories concerning its ultimate decline.

In addition to activities centered on Great Zimbabwe the surrounding area contains many attractions such as the beautiful Lake Mutirikwe, scenic land-scapes with huge domes and kopjes of granite, traditional tribal areas, caves with bushmen paintings and a game reserve.

The Lodge swimming pool

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Map of Lodge at the Ancient City

Directions to Lodge at The Ancient City

Form Masvingo, take the main road south towards Beit Bridge. 5km from Masvingo turn left onto the paved road to Great Zimbabwe.

Drive 24km and you will find the entrance to Lodge at the Ancient City on the right.

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The Pool Deck

The Dining Area A Chalet Bedroom

A Guest Chalet

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Sheppard`s Hotel

The Lodge At The Ancient City was constructed in 1997. However it was not the first tourist accommodation on this hotel site. In the 1960`s and early 1970`s there was a popular tourist establishment called Sheppard`s Hotel about 200 metres from the site of the current Lodge. The onset of the liberation war in the early 1970`s led to a precipitous decline in tourism and the hotel closed, and later the main thatched buildings burnt to the ground. Many of the old buildings still remain, and are used as staff accommodation for the current lodge.

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GREAT ZIMBABWEEARLY EXPLORATIONS

Who built Great Zimbabwe?

This simple question has caused centuries of controversy and the answer has had to battle the forces of political pressure, religious dogma and wishful thinking. Rightly or wrongly much of the early interest in Great Zimbabwe centered on whether or not this was the source of the fabulous gold of Solomon and if it was the lost city of the Queen of Sheba.

When the Portuguese established a fort at Sofala, in what is now southern Mozambique, in order to exploit the gold trade of southern and central Africa, they heard from the local Moorish traders stories of a ruined city in the interior from which, it was rumoured, the Queen of Sheba used to obtain her gold. This excited the imaginations of the early Portuguese historians and they conjectured that the ruins might in fact be situated in the land of Ophir, and may be those referred to in the Bible, 1 Kings 9:26 - 28, which states that King Solomon together with his Venetian partner Hiram, King of Tyre, collected from Ophir vast amounts of gold, some 420 talents, and much precious stones. These ideas were very exciting to the Portuguese and to all future explorers and historians and to this day the idea that Great Zimbabwe might be this fabulous Ophir has never been allowed to die. Italian, English, Dutch, French and many other nationalities of historians over the following centuries repeated and elaborated on these themes.

Later in the 19th Century, when the Boers settled in the Transvaal there were many who believed that Zimbabwe may be the land of Ophir. Karl Mauch, a German geologist, heard these stories from a missionary and set out to find and explore the ruins. He was one of the first foreign visitors ever to reach Great Zimbabwe, and he arrived there in September 1871. He was searching for evidence of the Queen of Sheba and King Solomon and when he found a piece of wood, which looked and felt like cedar wood from the Lebanon, he used this find to justify

his theory, one which embraced all the stories and fallacies of the previous three centuries. In fact the wood was probably Spirostachys africana, a local hardwood. His theory was further given credence by people such as Thomas Baines, the famous painter, who in spite of never visiting Great Zimbabwe produced a painting of the Queen of Sheba standing before some stone ruins and receiving tribute from her subjects.

In September 1890, Mashonaland was occupied by Cecil Rhodes’ British South Africa Company. One of the main reasons for the occupation was the search for gold. Rhodes himself believed that Zimbabwe might be the Ophir and the British South African Company sponsored the first investigation of Great Zimbabwe by one Theodore J Bent. Here was man who had studied the ancient Phoenicians but who had no formal archaeological training. He came believing that the origins of Great Zimbabwe must lie with a civilised ancient people and he managed to find enough to convince himself that this was indeed the case.

With Bent was a man named Swan, a mining engineer, who produced a number of theories based on the orientation of the ruins which he felt showed that buildings had been carefully positioned in the same way as Stonehenge and the Pyramids, and that there were sighting lines orientated to observe certain stars and solstices. In fact Swan’s theory collapsed when all his basic measurements were shown to be seriously wrong, or taken at arbitrarily selected points on the continuously changing curved walls.

In May 1902 a man named Richard Nicklin Hall was appointed the first Curator of Great Zimbabwe. He was meant to protect the site and act as a tourist promoter and guide, but seems to have totally disregarded the intentions behind his appointment and embarked on a program of continuous digging throughout the entire site. He removed all the trees, creepers, under-growth, fallen stones and dug down five feet or more removing stratified archaeological deposits. Hall’s disastrous work, which was terminated in 1904, meant that only the vestiges of archaeological deposits were left within the walls and this has inhibited all future scientific work. Hall himself continued to hold that ancient Semitic colonisers built the ruins three or four thousand years ago.

Following Hall’s dismissal people interested in the African past realised the need for a trained archaeologist to investigate Great

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Zimbabwe and they found a very suitable choice in David Randall-

MacIver who, after conducting his own diggings and reviewing all previ-

ous evidence, concluded that much of Great Zimbabwe was built around the

14th Century and was entirely the work of the local indigenous people.

MacIver’s work polarized opinions and feelings on Great Zimbabwe. Most white

settlers in Zimbabwe wanted to believe that Great Zimbabwe was the work of ancient foreign civilizations, while the archaeo-logical and scientific community generally supported the belief based on the scientific evidence produced by MacIver that the ruins were a product of the indigenous peoples.

In 1929 the Rhodes Trustees and British Association once again sent an archae- ologist to investigate Great Zimbabwe. They chose Gertrude Caton-Thompson whose professional standing, skills and experience were at least as great as MacIver’s. She undertook careful excavations in the few remaining areas that had not been damaged by Hall`s work. The presence or absence of various types of imported ceramics featured prominently in her work, as these could be dated with reason-able accuracy. She confirmed MacIver’s findings and stated that there was not one single item found that was not in accordance with the claim of Bantu origin and medieval date.

Later work by other archeologists using more advanced methods including car-bon dating confirmed her work. Caton-Thompson`s conclusions about Great Zim-babwe as summarised in the last page of her report, produced in 1931, is often used as a fitting summary to our state of knowledge regarding Great Zimbabwe :

`Examination of all the existing evidence, gathered from every quarter, still can produce not one single item that is not in accordance with the claim of Bantu origin and medieval date. The interest in Great Zimbabwe and the allied ruins should, on this account, to all educated people be enhanced a hundred-fold; it enriches, not impoverishes, our wonderment at their remarkable achievement: it cannot detract from their inherent majesty: for the mystery of Great Zimbabwe is the mystery which lies in the still pulsating heart of native Africa.`

GREAT ZIMBABWE EXPLAINEDBy Rob Burrett

Great Zimbabwe is the largest of the stonewalled settlements which are found throughout modern Zimbabwe, north-eastern Botswana and central Mozambique almost down to the Indian Ocean Coast. It is one of the world’s most extensive dry stone wall complexes (i.e. built without binding mortar) and is comparable with the architecturally similar “ancient wonders” of the Egyptian pyra-mids and the Inca sites of Peru. However, unlike these other ar-chaeological sites, Great Zimbabwe is still missing from most tourist itineraries - a “lost” locality which to date has not received the attention rightfully due to it. Not only, however, is it a place of interest in terms of the physical buildings, but it is also a fascinating cultural phenomenon. It represents the pinnacle of pre-colonial indigenous Zimbabwean, and indeed African, initiative, and as such has been placed on the “World Heritage List” by UNESCO in recognition of its uniqueness.

The settlement flourished between AD1200 and AD1500, with some later portions being occupied until as late as the mid Sixteenth Century. It is thought to have been the capi-tal city of an extensive “Shona State”, the actual extent of which is not fully agreed to by archaeologists. Although, most would agree that it’s centralised control would have included a sizeable portion of modern Zimbabwe, with related cul-tural states spreading well beyond its boundaries. It was built by a complex social and political entity which arose in the Limpopo Valley from about AD1100, being the response to both external and internal changes in economic and population conditions. The actual causes for the development of the state system probably

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involved numerous criteria. Initially, at least, it sought to control the increased cattle populations with all its associated implications in the way of ancestor intervention, marriage, control of labour, death rites and general wealth. Also it reacted positively to the developing linkages at the time of these southern lands into the international commodity markets of the Far East and the wealthy Islamic states which were desirous for any amount of gold and ivory which could be supplied. In addition the developing state was a natural political progression needed to organise the then growing human population in the area relative to resources. Any exotic theories as to its origins are to be rejected in the light of ALL evidence, they saying more about the respective author’s racial prejudice than having ANY grain of truth.

At its height approximately 11 000 to 30 000 people probably lived at Great Zim-babwe, which would make it the largest urban settlement in sub-Saharan Africa during its time. This population was divided into two distinct socio-political strata whose life-styles were quite different. On the one hand, there were the “ordinary people” who did not live in the stonewalled complexes, but who occupied a large area to the west of that visited by most tourists - essentially the area occupied by the modern entrance to the complex, the car park and the camping ground. There remains little surface indication of this residential zone, but excavations have

A. THE HILL COMPLEX

TO LODGE AT THE ANCIENT CITY

B. THE GREAT ENCLOSURE

C. THE VALLEY RUINS

MUSEUM

CARPARK

Map of Great Zimbabwe

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shown that it would have been one of extreme high-density with many remarkably thick walled pole and dakha houses almost roof to roof. These people were probably the craftsmen of the state, or were in some way involved with the complex political (bureaucratic) structure which operated there. They may have grown some of their own food nearby, but given the probable scarcity of local land it would seem likely that a sizeable proportion of their subsistence would have been drawn from peasant producers who occupied the surrounding areas.

The other social group at Great Zimbabwe can broadly be termed as the Elite. This group consisted of the senior bureaucrats, military men, religious officials and the royal family. It is probable that this society was based on kinship, and it is thought that the urban layout reflected this social system. The stonewalls were more or less confined to the elite areas, and were probably some sort of statement of social importance as to their occupants, very much in the same way that a large house or car distinguishes the influential people in modern urban systems world-wide. It must be remembered that the walls were freestanding and NEVER ROOFED. The people lived behind the stonewalls in large pole and dakha houses, many of which had intricately molded clay decorations, while a fairly recent excavation in the Valley Enclosures uncovered a small section of one of these dakha moldings partially

covered in thin, hand beaten, gold foil - surely a

sign of conspicuous consumption and a statement of power and wealth. Unlike those who lived outside of the stonewalls, this group lived in opulent luxury. They were responsible for the running of the society through their dominance and monopoly over the judicial, political, and religious and trade aspects of the State.

The overall stonewalled complex can be divided into a number of different zones, each of which was probably associated with different functions at different times. It must be remembered that the actual use may have altered through time, but the following overall usage has been proposed and is “accepted” by most archaeologists.

A. The Hill ComplexA common misnomer about the Hill Complex is that it was defensive. This it certainly was not. It makes no strategic sense to build huge walls on top of a high natural cliff, while the rear side of the hill (the north) was not similarly “protected” yet it is an easy and open ascent. Rather the walls were status symbols indicating the might of the ruler who lived behind them. The Hill it is now generally agreed as being the place where the Royals would have lived. It was probably the first area in the overall complex to have been developed, and certainly, at least initially, some of the functions later established elsewhere were found here. At the height of the State it is probable that the following activities were found on the Hill:

The Western Enclosure was the probable residence of the King. This is based on the recovery of several unusual objects and the symbolic decoration which occurs on the walls. The monoliths (upright slabs of rock) in particular are said to represent the

horns of a bull and thus the leader of the herd, the protector of the people, the one from whom all flows - all characteristic metaphors of

divine kingship. Similarly the small rounded towers are representative of traditional grain bins. Again in

Shona society the “ruler” was expected to hold food reserves for his people, thus these

are another symbol of kingship. In the enclosure you will see thick layers of

dakha, the compacted remains of innumerable huts built one upon

each other to house the king, possibly his personal medium,

and an audience chamber.

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with ancestors of the King which the birds symbolically are thought to represent. Unfortunately this enclosure has suffered from the rampages of early treasure seekers and so called archaeologists, while recently equally damaging and incorrect recon-structions mar the historical significance of the place. While in the enclosure look up at the large rock to the north-west. You will see an uncanny resemblance to the Zimbabwe Birds in an entirely natural phenomenon - could it be that this was the original reason for selecting this hill as the capital of the emerging State?

B. The Great Enclosure This is the largest and most impressive of the complexes at Great Zimbabwe - the outer wall consisting of over 15 000 tonnes of granite stone blocks. From the architectural style it would seem that the building is a late development, and its functions were probably carried out else-

where before its construction. Again we need to remember that over the three or more hundred years that it was

occupied, functions in different portions of the site would have altered. As to the use of the Great Enclosure this is a further field of archaeological controversy. One school suggests it became the religious centre of the State involving the National, wider ancestral spirits as opposed to merely the King’s personal ancestors as in the Eastern Enclosure on the Hill. It probably involved sacrifice, medium activity and national ceremonies. Another school suggests it was an initiation centre for young girls. Further research is still required. Whatever its use, it was obviously considered a vital centre in the State given the tremendous labour and organisation that went into the quarrying, shaping, transport and stacking of the rock slabs - a further indication of the considerable amount of power of the State.

At the rear of the Enclosure there are several features of interest. The focal point is the large Conical Tower which again is a symbol of Kingship (the provision of

It is probable that others of the royal family, especially the vast array of wives of the king, would

have occupied the many terraced platforms which line the northern and southern slopes of the hill. Unfortunately many of

these retaining walls have long fallen, however, look out of the fragmented remains as you climb.

The Eastern Enclosure was where the majority of the Zimbabwe Birds were found. It was probably a place of immense religious significance. A shrine associated

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security and food in the form of a grain bin), next to it is a smaller tower, while in front of these the wall is decorated with three bands of dark (dolerite) rock which shows up against the granite background. Around about the Enclosure several small-er areas are de-marked, two of which seem to have been involved in the working of gold, while there are several stone and dakha platforms which were found as-sociated with cattle remains and soapstone figurines, possibly of a fertility nature. Then on the outside of the main wall is the well known chevron decoration which has become, in modern Zimbabwe, as characteristic of the nation identity as the Zimbabwe Birds.

C. The Valley RuinsThese remains are probably not all contemporary. Some would have been occupied at the height of the State and would possibly have been associated with senior people - the senior wife of the king, and various court, military and religious officers. Others, however, have a very different architectural scheme and appear to be more recent, possibly early Sixteenth Century. It could be that these were occupied for a while by the remaining elite of the much reduced State after the collapse of the Main State and the shift of political power to the west (Kame) and North (Mutapa). This is supported by the fact that the only Zimbabwe Bird not found in the Hill Complex was located in one of these enclosures in a context which would appear to replicate the religious role of the Eastern Enclosure of the Hill - the same pattern but in a different place and on a smaller scale.

It would seem that from about AD1450, and especially AD1500, the State at Great Zimbabwe began to decline and it would have appeared to have split with the actual people, or at least their ideas, dispersing throughout the region giving rise to numerous smaller states. The reasons suggested for this decline are many and again there is no archaeological agreement. Some have suggested an ecological cause as certainly local resources such as wood fuel, agricultural land and water would have been seriously depleted by the many thousands of people using a traditional system over three hundred years. Sanitation and health concerns, especially the contemporary pandemics of the Plague, should not be dismissed,while it is also possible that the State became over centralised and unable to operate, although it is more likely that a combination of all these factors was responsible.

After the decline of Great Zimbabwe numerous smaller states developed on the Zimbabwean Plateau and neighbouring areas, in particular the Mutapa State in the north of the Country, the Torwa and Rozwi dynasties of the Bulawayo-Gweru

area, and the Venda ancestral group who colonised northern South Africa. These groups developed the state structures further and many built their own stonewalled Zimbabwes - not as large as that of Great Zimbabwe but in some cases such as the Torwa centres certainly more elaborately decorated. It is hoped that visitors will be able to get to see some of these later centres.

The State system, although maybe not the building traditions, continued until the 1850’s when it finally collapsed with the effects of Portuguese interference’s, the migrations of the Nguni people fleeing the Mfecane in South Africa, and British colonisation. Today Great Zimbabwe is the premier Monument in the Nation State which took its name from it. It represents the height of indigenous social, political and economic developments in the pre-colonial period and is an inspiration to us all.

The Western Enclosure

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REFERENCES

Beach D N 1980 The Shona and Zimbabwe 900 - 1850. Gweru : Mambo Press. - a good background on the Shona people, although some ideas a little outdated in the light of more recent research.

Beach D N 1994 The Shona and their Neighbours. Oxford : Blackwell. - the best available book on Shona history, although its wide scope does mean it is a little simplified.

Beach D N 1995 A Zimbabwean Past. Gweru : Mambo Press. - a very detailed book on local Shona histories, but with some updating on the work 1980 book.

Chipunza K T 1994 A Diachronic Analysis of the Architecture of the Hill Complex at Great Zimbabwe. Uppsala : Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis. - an attempt at re-analysing the dating of the different building phases on the Hill.

Ellert H 1984 The Material Culture of Zimbabwe. Harare : Longmans. - a useful record of the traditional artefacts of modern Zimbabwe.

Garlake P S 1973 Great Zimbabwe. London : Thames and Hudson. - a good background on the Ruins, although getting very dated.

Garlake P S 1982 Life at Great Zimbabwe. Gweru : Mambo. - a simplified history designed for schoolchildren. The author may no longer agree with some of his comments.

Garlake P S 1985 Great Zimbabwe - described and explained. (Second Edition). Harare : Zimbabwe Publishing House. - an excellent, if somewhat cynical, summary of the state of knowledge of the Ruins.

Huffiman T N 1977 Zimbabwe, southern Africa’s first Town. Rhodesian Prehistory No. 15 - a basic look at the Ruins in dating and population.

Huffiman T N 1981 Snakes and Birds. African Studies Vol. 40, pp. 131-150. - the first attempt at a symbolic analysis of the Ruins.

Huffiman T N 1984 Expressive Space in the Zimbabwean Culture. Man Vol. 19, pp. 593 - 612. - a detailed attempt at a symbolic analysis of the Ruins.

Huffiman T N 1987 Symbols in Stone. Johannesburg : Witwatersrand University Press. - the most recent and detailed attempt at a symbolic analysis of the Ruins.

Mudenge S I G 1988 A Political History of Munhumutapa c. 1400 - 1902. Harare : Zimbabwe Publishing House - a good history of this successor state in northern Zimbabwe.

Pwiti G 1991 Trade and Economics in Southern Africa. c. 700 - 1200. Zimbabwea No. 3. pp. 51 - 56. - an analysis of the role of trade in the State.

Swan L 1994 Early Gold Mining on the Zimbabwean Plateau. Uppsala : Societas Archaeologica Upsaliensis. - a background on pre-colonial mining.

Thorp C R 1995 Kings, Commoners and Cattle. Harare : Museum Memoir (new series) No. 1 - an analysis of the use of cattle in the State.

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Both saw Great Zimbabwe as evidence of a very early, mysterious, alien, imperial and gold-seeking power in this part of Africa, a view which through professionally refuted had a very long life and is not quite dead yet.

Cripps said that the conclusion of Lang’s poem was “sardonic”, a judgement perhaps on all imperialists who are simply after the loot. Yet the imperialists of those days were quite open about their motives. Like Lang, the 1890’s excavator J.T.Bent makes no bones about it: “the same motive, namely, the thirst for gold, created the hoary walls of Zimbabwe and the daub huts of Fort Salisbury”. With that assumption as its memorable conclusion, and the connection of the ruins to Solomon’s temple, Lang’s poem presents a clean structure that reflects perhaps the confidence with which the British saw themselves as agents of empire, taking over where the vanished builders of Great Zimbabwe left off, bringing this land into the main stream of history and exploitation once more.

Great Zimbabwe: An African Revenants’ Refrain (1916)

The many cared for herd and hoe;To us, the few, that Vision came;

Flaking the granite – built we slow, Like ranks on like, and still the same,Building for Him to whom men go,

Building for Him from whom men came.

On us, God’s pupils, poor and few,Our forbears’ wisdom gleam’d for guide;Old earthen shapes our boyhood knewWe graved in Heav’n – ascending pride:

What were the cirques of stones we drewBut rings of wattles glorified?

Our jointed bondless, work so trueTo one great law, a less defied.

FOUR POEMS ABOUT GREAT ZIMBABWE

Zimbabwe (1896)

Into the darkness whence they came,They passed – their country knoweth none,

They and their gods without a namePartake the same oblivion.

Their work they did, their work is done,Whose gold, it may be, shone like fire

About the brows of Solomon,And in the House of God’s Desire.

Hence came the altar all of gold,The hinges of the Holy Place,

The censer with the fragrance rolledSkyward to seek Jehovah’s face;The golden ark that did encase

The law within Jerusalem,The lilies and the rings to grace

The high priest’s robe and diadem.

The pestilence, the desert spear,Smote them; they passed with none to tell

The names of them that laboured here:Stark walls and crumbling crucible,

Strait gates, and graves, and ruined well, Abide, dumb monuments of old,

We know but that men fought and fell,Like us – like us – for love of gold.

Andrew Lang

Andrew Lang’s poem “Zimbabwe”, first published in 1896, is the earliest poem in English about the ruins. Originally entitled “Ophir”, it was written at the request of Rider Haggard for “Poetry on Africa”, and clearly is indebted to Haggard’s King Solomon’s Mines of 1887.

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About the quiet graves we fillBlind moles of strangers delve and pry,

And they, that work our children ill,To us (their sires) our walls deny –

‘Would low men leap to art so high?’

What name of Ind or ArabyMen take in vain, it matters not:

Walls which the Highest holds in feeWe left no upstart script to blot:Thro’ all a world His Wind is freeTo blow at will man’s embers hot:

In colour-blind perversityHe gave to us His Vision’s glee –Vision our children have forgot,Vision they yet again may see.

Arthur Sheryl Cripps

Unlike Lang who had never seen Africa, Arthur Shearly Cripps spent much of his life here. He was an Anglican priest and lived near Chivhu among the African people in a small round thatched hut built of rock and mud next to his church built of the same materials in the style of Great Zimbabwe with no corners anywhere. His whole life was a practical and verbal protest against much that the settler administration and economic interests stood for. And, as his poem shows, he celebrated the creative energies of the ancestors of the people. Himself a literary artist of great standing, he recognised the artistic achievement in Great Zimbabwe and saw in its structures the common forms of domestic life. This recognition, in the second stanza, is one of the most interesting features of the poem linking it not only with the work of MacIver but with that of the modern Zimbabwean archaeologist, Peter Garlake, who sees in these giant structures “a harmony of curves echoing... the sculptural curves of hut, pot or carving”. Cripps takes up a number of points that figured in the debate about the ruins – the supposed absence of recent work in stone, the lack of bonding, the absence of graves and a script, and of course the attribution of the ruins to an assortment of alien races. That the voice speak-ing the whole poem is that of an ancestor, himself one of the builders, makes it unique among the many poems by whites that deal with the ruins. His revenant returns with the knowledge that he built with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to the glory of God. Yet if the poem Christianizes the ruins, it still speaks lovingly of their homely forms, their “old earthen shapes”, their “rings of wattles”, and it is these wholly Zimbabwean elements that are “glorified”.

Zimbabwe (After The Ruins) (1978)

I want to worship StoneBecause it is Silence

I want to worship RockSo, hallowed be its silence.

For in the beginning there was silenceAnd we all were

And in the end there will be silenceAnd in the end we all will be.

Silence speaks to fool and wise manto slave and kingto deaf and dumb

to blind manand to thunder even

for in the beginning there was silenceand we all were

and in the end there will be silenceand in the end we all will be.

The mind that dreamt this Dreammassively reaching unto time and space

the voice that commanded the talent that wove the architecture:

friezes of dentelleherring-bone

check patterns,chevronand all

the many hands that put all this silence together,the forgotten festivals at the end of the effort:

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All speak Silence now – Silence.

And behold these stones the visible end of silence

and when I lie in my gravewhen the epitaph is forgotten

Stone and Bone will speakReach out to you in no sound

so mysteries will weave in your mindwhen I’m gone

Because silence cradles all –the space and the universe –

and touches all.

Musaemura Bones Zimunya

Like Cripps, Musaemura Zimunya celebrates the artistic achievement that Great Zimbabwe represents. Elsewhere he writes that the ruins are “the residual evidence of a people who found rock, took the message from it and proceeded to make a grand form with it”. Silence is what we encounter in the presence of the ruins, but at the same time it reminds us that these structures were once filled with the sounds of life. Of that life not one word remains. Like his grave which the speaker of the poem refers to in the last section, the ruins have no legible epitaph telling us about the lives of the people who built and dwelt here. All, as the poem says, “speak Silence now”.

But if that is true, so also is the contrary, because “silence speaks”. Silence can speak because everything that we see has a shape and was fashioned to express the “Dream” of the architects and builders. Their life is in the stone and that empowers it to speak to us. When the ruins speak, what we hear is the voice of our own creative imagination stimulated by what we see and know. The more we informatively develop what our active imagination generates, the closer we will come to an awareness of the hidden shapes of life that Great Zimbabwe arose from. These hidden shapes are what the speaker calls “mysteries”, fictions that embody for the targeted audience some significant element that relates to their situation. Lang’s fiction appealed to the white settlers. Zimunya’s poem belongs to the late 1970’s when the liberation war was at its height, and as this and other of his poems show, he was attempting to employ Great Zimbabwe as a focus for patriotic sentiment and endeavour.

The Great Zimbabwe Bird (1997)

I watched the Great Zimbabwe BirdFlapping, then perching

Onto the mighty Conical Tower.She gripped her pin-sharp clawsAround some soiled skin of stone.

I saw the silent dozing stonesDreaming of Chiefs who planned it all alone –

No foreign aid conceivedNo donation received.

I watched the Great Zimbabwe BirdFluttering, then perching.

From the holy Temple, out it breathedHer snuffy breath brushed past

Neat Rozvi chevron patternsUnknown to ancient Europe and old Africa

Well-known to Karangas who saw it all alone –No foreign aid borrowed

No donation allowed.

I watched the Great Zimbabwe BirdFlapping, then perching.

From the Valley of Ruins it coughedOut it lungs, and ropes of spit

Fell onto soldiers of disciplined stonesUnknown to rigid enemies of travel

Imprisoned inside their own boundaries –No discoveries recorded

No fresh knowledge decoded.

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I watched the Great Zimbabwe BirdFluttering, then perching.

aCooling and cooling, with her ocean-wide wingsThe hot bones of architects, sculptors and builders.

She waved her fur and mighty feathersAbove the in-coming and out-going visitors –

No minute of their time spoiledBut more tonnes of knowledge gained.

Davison Mugiya

The Zimbabwe bird figures prominently in Davison Mugiya’s poem, exhibiting some of the strange unbird-like elements of the well-known sculptures. Settler influence is still present in the poem’s use of now abandoned names for various parts of the ruins, through the intention clearly is to celebrate Great Zimbabwe as a wholly local creation. The bird maps out the route taken by visitors to the ruins, who themselves appear at the end of the poem enriched by knowledge of what the people of this part of Africa were capable of. Like the other poems, this one is carefully structured, the author choosing to use repetition with variation as his main shaping device. The last two lines of each stanza are quite effec-tive, while in the fourth and fifth lines the bird performs different (and again, sometimes unbird-like) acts, concluding with its service to the buried architects and builders. It has been suggested that the carved birds are themselves reminders of the dead. If this is so the connection made in the last stanza is not simply fanciful.

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STORIES FROM GREAT ZIMBABWE WEIRD PLACE AND PEOPLE

Written by Prospah Rusike, Tour Guide - Lodge at The Ancient City

The great Zimbabwe Ruins are not only an Ancient city, but also holds quite a lot of ancient spirits lurking behind the massive walls maybe eager to divulge to someone myths and traditions of the mystic past...

After several years of excavations and scientific radio carbon dating, it’s high time that men gave room to legendary tales and ancient superstitious beliefs. Over the years no satisfying answers are readily available to curious questions from the modern, old and young alike. Several people have walked through the grandeur of great granite construction, having peaceful or horrific personal feelings about this unrecorded civilisation. Some people have expressed their feelings and others have been compelled to react to the invisible presence of the unknown like Mrs Bensole Antama and her son Duma.

I met the 93 year old Mrs Bensole Antama and her son Duma on the 23rd August 1993 at Masvingo Airport. They had come on a Flame Lily day excursion package. I went through the ‘meet and greet’ procedures only to find out that the dear son had very little talking interest but was a keen listener. We left for our trip.

This old lady was very conversant and cheerful. I thought I was going to have a hectic day patiently dragging her through the program of the day, but she proved able and unbelievably capable of doing everything. Our first tour took us to Great Zimbabwe Ruins which comprises the Hill Complex (80 metres of vertical climb), the Museum and the Great Enclosure. Informing our clients on the dangers one could expect is part of the system, I told them about how dangerous it could be to attempt the hill at her age. She turned her head to look at her son and said : “I wonder if you can climb it Duma?” He nodded his head in confirmation, then we started walking up.

The whole ascent was unexpectedly pleasant, with not even one hitch. For your information Duma was 73 good years of upbringing and definitely greying. We proceeded... panting and puffing trying to unravel the mysteries of the place. This lady was magic, she never stopped

talking in between puffs, sometimes about her home. We went through the Western Enclosure, through the Recess the Smelting and ended up in the Eastern Enclosure. The Eastern Enclosure is one of the most spiritual enclosures at the place. That is the place where six soap stone birds were found. The birds are said to be symbols of important ancestors. To send a prayer to their god they used their ancestors as a ladder step by step. The birds most probably would make it easier for them to remember who died before or after whom. I was talking about this dear subject when Duma started to back away slowly. With me in the front we started another ascent to the top of the Eastern Temple Balcony. I turned my head and saw Duma fixed to his spot with his mouth agape.

After a long pause he gathered his courage to follow. He paced up and when he was about half way he made a groaning sound that startled everyone except his mother. After the groan, he never gave us a chance to find out what the problem was. He went into a frenzy, uttered three very loud words that I could not catch and dashed down to the valley. He scared me out of my wits, this was trouble on my nose. Company policy was precisely to protect and jealously guard for the welfare of our clients. Duma had disappeared and I decided to follow him. His mother, on seeing my reaction quickly told me not to worry. We continued, but I was so worried I could not do it well. We finished our climb and started to descend. When we got to the shops I was more scared to see the dehydrated Duma leaning against the giant Quinine tree. He looked at me with sunken eyes and ashen face. His mother quickly fumbled through her small bag and took out a small bottle. She patiently asked me to find a bigger container with water. She mixed a potion from her bottle with water, chanting inaudible murmuring and gave her son to drink. He greedily gulped the potion and after a few minutes what a surprising recovery.

In the afternoon I took them on a scenic drive. We went around to see the rock paintings and meandering Murray McDougall Drive. We drove on and ended up at Chamavara Caves. I went in with the old lady, but her gentle son declined to join us. After the past experience I never persuaded him.

On our drive back we stopped at the Mutirikwe Dam Wall and went to see the Chapel. We went on a high platform where we could see the Dam wall clearly. Duma sat quietly sipping from his Soda Water bottle and his eyes bolted to the west. He stood up abruptly and said, “I heard you talking about the dead of Zimbabwe, count several paces towards the West and dig into the water”. He quickly went back to where he was seated ........ and sat back. After some time I drove them back to the Airport. I got a big hug from the mother whilst the son was watching and never said a word. They checked in at the Airport and I left.

MY MIND WONDERS!!!

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(Editors note : One of the mysteries of Great Zimbabwe is: where are the burial grounds? Thousands upon thousands of people lived in this area over several centuries but few human remains have been found in the immediate vicinity. However there is one site where human bones have been found. The engineers who surveyed the Mutirikwe Valley prior to construction of the dam recorded several burial sites near the river, just upstream from the dam site, an area now under permanent water...)

THE CONICAL TOWERWritten by Prospah Rusike, Tour Guide - Lodge at The Ancient City

There was a Chief named Chidyamatombo, who wanted to choose a wife for his son before he died. So he called in all the beautiful girls of that society for a Dance. He wanted the best dancer for the future Queen.

The beautiful maidens could not produce the dance he was looking forward to. But that was not the end of it all ...

There was a very ugly girl in this society called Mateya, which means ‘rickets’. She was a helluver dancer. When she entered the ring, she sent a wave of applause from all corners. Some were jeering, though it all added to the praise of her rather than humiliation. So the people ended up with an ugly future Queen.

The Senior wives of Chiefs are said to have lived in the Great Enclosure, so she did. One day she gathered enough courage to ask her husband to build her a thick, wide wall to symbolise power and authority. The King or Chief could not do that as it would have been considered a weakness to have given into a request from and ‘instrument for bearing children’. Women were frowned upon.

The Chief was not at peace at all. He felt his father haunting him in spirit form. “Come on son.... do it!! Remember I chose that wife!” said the powerful spiritual message from the deceased. The dead were always an important medium through which a prayer could be sent direct to his god. Dishonouring an order from the dead meant risking a vengeful wrath from an aggrieved spirit up to the third or fourth generation. He had to be more patriotic and get a way to defend his kinsmen.

He went to consult the Tribal Spirit Medium or High Priest. He was known to be the guardian of their culture and religion. He took it simple and ordered the young King to build a spiritual, conical tower. Dimensions of eleven metres in height, six metres at the base and decorated on the northern top part with the dentelle pattern. He did it, but still the request was not filled.

One day when the King was leisurely walking the paths of his big city, it struck him that the spiritual tower needed some protection. He quickly put men to work to build a 250 metre circumference, 5 metres thick and nine metres high wall to protect his Tower. He had a wall for his wife and a wall for his Tower.

Nothing like shooting two birds with one stone, eh?!!

The Conical Tower

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The Soapstone BirdsSeven uniquely stylised carved soapstone birds have been found at Great Zimbabwe. Nothing remotely similar exists in Zimbabwe or indeed

anywhere else.

In 1889 a hunter, Willi Posselt, found four of them in the Eastern enclosure of the hill complex. He took one, despite protests from the local Karanga, and hid the other three. Rhodes purchased the one from Posselt and kept it in his home in Cape Town. Further birds were found and eventually five ended up in the Cape, one in Bulawayo, while the last was divided - the head to Harare and the body to Germany! Fortunately most of the birds have been returned and are now on display at the museum at Great Zimbabwe.

The birds are about 33cm high and sit on 1 metre long columns. They are carved from a dark grey-green soapstone, the nearest natural outcrop of this material being 15 miles from Great Zimbabwe. They represent the only known sculptures of any size and complexity found at Great Zimbabwe or any other south-central African prehistoric site. The birds are highly stylised with large rounded legs with feet, not talons, small folded wings and indistinct beaks.

It is impossible to determine what species of bird is rep-resented by the carvings. Fish-eagles, birds of prey and hornbills have all been proposed at one time or another. It is more likely that the birds were never intended to represent one particular species, but were symbols based on an avian theme.

The unique and unmistakable character of these birds has led to their adoption as the national symbol of the modern, independent nation of Zimbabwe.

GeologyThe Author: Kevin Walsh was lecturer in Petrology (the study of rocks) and Economic Geology in the Geology Department at the University of Zimbabwe. He has worked on the geology of Great Zimbabwe and how this relates to the historical development of the site.

Geological Map of the Area around Lodge at the Ancient City

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Geological History of the AreaThe story of Great Zimbabwe really began, not hundreds of years ago, but about 2600 million years earlier, when the granite on which the monument is built crystallized from a huge mass of molten rock a couple of kilometres below the Earth`s surface. This was in the Precambrian era, when the only life to have evolved consisted of algae and bacteria. Above the crystallising granites was a sea and some land, upon which volcanoes poured out thick piles of lava, today called greenstones because of the colour they became with the passage of time. These lavas were rich in iron which weathered away and accumulated in the sea as a banded ironstone. Sedimentary rocks also formed form sand and pebbles on the sea floor. Later, hot fluids from deep in the Earth`s crust passed through the greenstones, sedimentary rocks and ironstones and deposited veins of gold. In the intervening millennia the greenstones were stretched and folded and the granites brought up to the surface and eroded to their present shape. All of these rocks would later play a part in the history of Great Zimbabwe.

Rocks and Metals at Great ZimbabweThe actual siting of the Great Zimbabwe town may have been due to it being central to geological commodities that were important to the state: granite for building stones plus iron ore and gold for both domestic use and trade.

Over 70 sites of stone buildings of the Zimbabwe culture are known in the country, most of them built using exfoliated slabs of granite. Granite crystallizes below the surface of the earth and is subsequently brought to the surface by earth move-ments. On exhumation, pressure is released and joints (cracks) develop parallel and perpendicular to the surface. Later weathering and erosion along these joints produces the typical granite scenery of balancing rocks, castle kopjes and dome-shaped “whale-back” mountains. Exfoliation of granite parallel to the curved, rectangular joint system leaves slabs of granite on the surface of outcrops, which have peeled away like the skin of an onion. These slabs are typically centimetres to tens of centimetres in thickness and can be easily broken into rectangular building blocks. These are what were used to construct Great Zimbabwe and the other stone buildings, including more recently those of the Lodge.

Iron was a metal much used at Great Zimbabwe both for utilitarian artefacts such as spears, hoes, axes, gads (mining chisels), knives and arrow heads and also decorative artefacts such as beads, bangles and gongs. As well as using iron,

the town was a producer of the metal – excavations over the last century have frequently found iron ore and iron slag. The iron smelting process used at this time allowed even low grade ironstones to be worked and Great Zimbabwe is close to many such rocks such as at Chomuznadu, the Nyanda Hills, in the Lake Mutirikwe Game Reserve and around the Glenlivet Hotel all within a 25km radius.

Today gold is a large earner of foreign exchange for Zimbabwe. Most modern mines are situated on the sites of ancient workings and it is estimated that over 4000 mines were worked prior to 1890, producing over 600 tonnes of gold, with much of this during Great Zimbabwe times. Great Zimbabwe controlled the gold trade within a state covering much of present day Zimbabwe, where there were many mines.

How Granite Domes & Kopjes are Formed

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Alluvial gold deposited in rivers by the erosion of gold-rich rocks is the easiest to exploit. In Zimbabwe today, thousands of rural people are involved in this activity and at time of drought this figure may rise substantially. Using simple technology they gather and sieve or pan the sand and gravel from the river bed to extract the gold. A similar way of obtaining gold would have been used at the time of Great Zimbabwe, for example from the Mutirikwe River. Unlike mines, which are ephemeral, lasting less than a year to a couple of decades, the rivers can be a source of gold for centuries because of continual shifting of river sediment and replenishment of supply by erosion of gold bearing strata.

Greenstone rocks were also used to build and decorate Great Zimbabwe. The long, dark green monoliths seen standing alone or originally perched on top of many of the walls were of well-cleaved greenstone – a cleavage is a flat surface along which a rock breaks. Also from the greenstone belts was the soapstone used to produce the famous Zimbabwe Birds. This is from serpentinite, a rock composed of serpentine, which is still quarried and carved near Mashava.

What to see at the LodgeMany of these geographical features and rocks can be seen at the Lodge. The dining and bar complex and all the bedrooms are built of slabs of granite in the same style as Great Zimbabwe. Turn around while having a drink at the bar and you can see a large joint in the granite. It is such joints that would be weathered away to form the kopjes and balancing rocks. Whale-backed mountains and castle kopjes of granite can be seen on either side of Great Zimbabwe, looking from the terrace beside the pool, while behind is a wonderful balancing rock

seemingly about to roll down the path to the lodges. On several of the walls outside are dark green monoliths of greenstone. The display in the dining area shows iron

artefacts made from the ironstones; and carvings of soapstone from talc and serpentine rock. It also contains curved H-shaped ingots of copper, another ore traded at Great Zimbabwe, which you can also find moulded into your bed heads!

MAMMALS FOUND AT THE LODGE AT THE ANCIENT CITY

Impala

Baboon

Rock Hyrax or Dassie

Vervet Monkey

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BIRDSThere are plenty of birds to see around the Lodge At The

Ancient City and in the Great Zimbabwe area. 172 species have been recorded on the grounds of the lodge. This diversity is due to the varied habitats around the lodge, the most important

being the miombo woodland, the open grassland and the dam.

Birds bring colour and life to any setting. Bring a pair of binoculars and sit a while on the pool deck looking out over the canopy

of Msasa and Munondo trees. You may have an experience similar to one I enjoyed recently...

`One late April afternoon I sat quietly watching the sun sink towards the kopje overlooking Great Zimbabwe. A large dark starling with red wings alighted on the tree above the pool and sung its beautiful liquid song. As if by cue, a small mixed flock

of birds came working through the leafy canopy. Small Yellow White-eyes moved busily along lichen encrusted branches, followed by Red-billed and White Helmet-shrikes. A Blackheaded Oriole perched on a Msasa tree and gave its high liquid call. Puffback Shrikes, resplendent in black and white plumage, clicked and whistled nearby, while a Miombo Doublecollared Sunbird alit on a nearby dead branch, its iridescent red chest shining in the dying rays of the sun.

A pair of Blackcollared Barbets started duetting down in the valley below the lodge, their undulating calls one of the characteristic sounds of the Zimbabwean bush, while for a few seconds the hoarse braying of Trumpeter Hornbills filled the air as a pair of the large birds flew low overhead.

As darkness fell delicate bat-shaped birds came flying noiselessly through the gathering dusk ; they were Fierynecked Nightjars hawking for insects. Known as litany birds due to their characteristic call (`Good Lord, deliveeeeeeeeeer us`) they are common inhabitants of Zimbabwe`s woodlands. Finally all was still and as Venus twinkled in the western sky the woodland echoed to the haunting call of the resident Wood Owls.`

Checklist Of Birds At Lodge At The Ancient City

Darter Anhinga rufa White-breasted Cormorant Phalacrocorax carbo Reed Cormorant Phalacrocorax africanus Grey Heron Ardea cinerea Blackheaded Heron Ardea melanocephala Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis Little Bittern Ixobrychus minutus Hamerkop Scopus umbretta Yellowbellied Stork Mycteria ibis Black Stork Ciconia nigra Egyptian Goose Alopochen aegyptiacus Knobbilled Duck Sakidornis melanotos Redbilled Teal Anas erythrorhyncha Whitefaced Duck Dendrocygna viduata Black Kite Milvus migrans Blackshouldered Kite Elanus caeruleus Martial Eagle Polemaetus bellicosus Black Eagle Aquila verreauxi Tawny Eagle Aquila rapax Lesser Spotted Eagle Aquila pomarina Wahlberg`s Eagle Aquila wahlbergi Longcrested Eagle Lophaetus occipitalis Crowned Eagle Stephanoaetus coronatus Lizard Buzzard Kaupifalco monogrammicus Brown Snake Eagle Circaetus cinereus Blackbreasted Snake Eagle Circaetus pectoralis Bateleur Terathopius ecaudatus

To learn more about the birds you need two essential pieces of equipment ; a pair of binoculars and an identification guide. A typical combination that can be bought from an online retailer such as amazon.com is Sasol Birds of Southern Africa by Ian Sinclair ; Struik Publishers : 3rd Revised edition (1 Sept 2002) and Bushnell H20 8x42 Binoculars - but any good pair of binoculars with a power of 8x40 or 9x40 would be satisfactory.

Blackcollared Barbet

Whitebrowed Scrub Robin

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Steppe Buzzard Buteo buteo Little Sparrowhawk Accipiter minullus African Goshawk Accipiter tachiro Gymnogene Polyboroides typus Lanner Falcon Falco biarmicus Hobby Falcon Falco subbuteo Helmeted Guineafowl Numida meleagris African Jacana Actophilornis africanus Black Crake Amauromis flavirostris Crowned Plover Vanellus coronatus Common Sandpiper Actitis hypoleucos Rock Pigeon Columba guinea Redeyed Dove Streptopelia semitorquata Cape Turtle Dove Streptopelia capicola Laughing Dove Streptopelia senegalensis Emeraldspotted Dove Turtur chalcospilos Green Pigeon Treron calva Brownheaded Parrot Poicephalus cryptoxanthus Purplecrested Lourie Tauraco porphyreolophus African Cuckoo Cuculus gularis Redchested Cuckoo Cucullus solitaries Black Cuckoo Cucullus clamosus Diederik Cuckoo Chrysococcyx caprius Senegal Cuckoo Centropus senegalensis Barn Owl Tyto alba Wood Owl Strix woodfordi Spotted Eagle Owl Bubo africanus Fierynecked Nightjar Caprimulgus pectoralis Freckled Nightjar Caprimulgus tristigma Palm Swift Cypsiurus parvus Black Swift Apus barbatus Whiterumped Swift Apus caffer Speckled Mousebird Colius striatus Redfaced Mousebird Uricolius indicus Pygmy Kingfisher Ispidina picta Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis Giant Kingfisher Megaceryle maxima Malachite Kingfisher Alcedo cristata Brownheaded Kingfisher Halcyon albiventris European Bee-Eater Merops apiaster

Little Bee-eater Merops pusillus Trumpter Hornbill Bycanistes bucinator Crowned Hornbill Tockus alboterminatus Blackcollared Barbet Lybius torquatus Yellowfronted Tinker Barbet Pogoniulus chrysoconus Crested Barbet Trachyphonus vaillantii Greater Honeyguide Indicator indicator Lesser Honeyguide Indicator minor Goldentailed Woodpecker Campethera abingoni Cardinal Woodpecker Dendropicos fuscescens Bearded Woodpecker Thripias namaquus Rufousnaped Lark Miafra africana Flappet Lark Miafra rufocinnamomea European Swallow Hirundo rustica Wiretailed Swallow Hirundo smithii Greyrumped Swallow Pseudhirundo griseopyga Lesser Striped Swallow Hirundo abyssinica House Martin Delichon urbica Black Sawwing Swallow Psalidoprocne holomelas Black Cuckooshrike Campephaga flava Whitebreasted Cuckooshrike Coracina pectoralis Forktailed Drongo Dicrurus adsimilis European Golden Oriole Oriolus oriolus African Golden Oriole Oriolus auratus Blackheaded Oriole Oriolus larvatus Whitenecked Raven Corus albicollis Pied Crow Corvus albus Northern Grey Tit Parus griseiventris Southern Black Tit Parus niger Blackeyed Bulbul Pycnonotus barbatus Terrestrial Bulbul Phyllastrephus terrestris Yellowbellied Bulbul Chlorocichla flaviventris Kurrichane Thrush Turdus libonyana Familiar Chat Cercomela familaris Mocking Chat Thamnolaea cinnamomeiventris Stonechat Saxicola torquata Heuglin`s Robin Cossypha heuglini Whitethroated Robin Cossypha humeralis Whitebrowed Robin Erythropygia leucophrys Garden Warbler Sylvia borin

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Willow Warbler Phylloscopus trochilus Yellowbellied Eremomela Eremomela icteropygialis Greencapped Eremomela Eremomela scotops Steirlings Barred Warbler Calamonastes stierlingi Longbilled Crombec Sylvietta rufescens Redfaced Crombec Sylvietta whytii Yellowbreasted Apalis Apalis flavida Barthroated Apalis Apalis thoracica Bleating Warbler Camaroptera brachyura Fantailed Warbler Cisticola juncidis Neddicky Cisticola fulvicapilla Rattling Cisticola Cisticola chiniana Redfaced Cisticola Cisticola erythrops Lazy Cisticola Cisticola aberrans Tawnyflanked Prinia Prinia subflava Spotted Flycatcher Muscicapa striata Bluegrey Flycatcher Muscicapa caerulescens Pallid Flycatcher Melaenomis pallidus Black Flycatcher Melaenomis pammelaina Mashona Flycatcher Hyliota australis Paradise Flycatcher Terpsiphone viridis Chinspot Batis Batis molitor Grassveld Pipit Anthus cinnamomeus Striped Pipit Anthus lineiventris Yellowthroated Longclaw Macronyx croceus Lesser Grey Shrike Lanius minor Fiscal Shrike Lanius collaris Redbacked Shrike Lanius collurio Longtailed Shrike Corvinella melanoleuca Tropical Boubou Laniarius aethiopicus Puffback Dryoscopus cubla Threestreaked Tchagra Tchagra australis Blackcrowned Tchagra Tchagra senegala Brubru Nilus afer Orangebreasted Bush Shrike Telophorus sulfureopectus Greyheaded Bush Shrike Malaconotus blanchoti White Helmet Shrike Prionops plumatus Plumcoloured Starling Cinnyricinclus leucogaster Greater Blueeared Starling Lamprotornis chalybaeus Redwinged Starling Onychognathus morio

Masked Weaver

Miombo doublecollared Sunbird Nectarina chalybea Yellowbellied Sunbird Nectarinia venusta Whitebellied Sunbird Nectarinia talatala Black Sunbird Nectarinia amethystina Yellow Whiteeye Zosterops senegalensis Greyheaded Sparrow Passer diffusus Yellowthroated Sparrow Petronia superciliaris Spectacled Weaver Ploceus ocularis Redheaded Weaver Anaplectes rubriceps Spottedbacked Weaver Ploceus cucullatus Golden Weaver Ploceus xanthops Masked Weaver Ploceus velatus Cuckoo Finch Anomalospiza imberbis Red Bishop Euplectes orixYellowbacked Widow Euplectos macrourus Yellowrumped Widow Euplectes capensis Redcollared Widow Euplectes ardens Bronze Manakin Spermestes cucullatus Melba Finch Pytilia melba Jameson`s Firefinch Lagonosticta rhodopareia Orangebreasted Waxbill Sporaeginthus subflavus Blue Waxbill Uraeginthus angolensis Common Waxbill Estrilda astrild Pintailed Whydah Vidua macroura Paradise Whydah Vidua paradisaea

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LIZARDSAfter a hard morning’s climb amongst the ruins of Great Zimbabwe why not take a moment to relax with a cold drink on the pool deck - and get into some lizard watching!

Lizards are cold blooded reptiles, and are active in the middle of the day. There are some large granite rocks below the lodge and by sitting quietly and looking down onto this area you may well spot three or more species.

Most common, but none the less very good looking, is the Rainbow Skink. The female and immature have brown streaky bodies with bright electric blue tails, while the males live up to the family name with their green tails, red heads and yellow bodies. These skinks are a type of lizard with scaly shiny skin.

One of the most attractive of the lizards is the Agama Lizard. The female is fairly nondescript, but the male is resplendent with a bright orange head and blue tail, except in winter when he changes and looks much like the female.

If you are very lucky you may see the grand master of the lizards, the Giant Plated

Lizard. There will be little difficulty in identifying this one, as individuals grow up to two feet long. They are attractively coloured fawn brown

with two long yellow stripes on each side of the back. The giant of the family is the Monitor Lizard, which can reach lengths of one metre and weighs up to 20kg, but you are unlikely to see one as

they are uncommon in this area.

TREESOver seventy species of indigenous trees have been identified on the grounds of The Lodge at the Ancient City. This richness is due to good soils and regular rainfall.

The dominant species of tree in the area is the Msasa (Brachystegia speciformis). Together with the Munondo (Julbernardia globiflora) this tree forms extensive stands throughout the higher parts of Zimbabwe and in much of Zambia, Malawi and Southern Tanzania. This type of woodland is often referred to as `miombo`, referring to its open canopy structure together with an understory of grass and herb cover.

The Msasas and Munondos put on a wonderful display of colour in August and September and visitors at this time of year will be able to enjoy a panoramic view of red, orange and green as the trees burst into new leaves. The combination of this new flush of leaves together with grey lichen covered rocks and boulders is one of Zimbabwe`s most characteristic and beautiful sights.

There are many specimens of Msasa and Munondo growing in the grounds of the lodge. They are hard to seperate in the field but the Msasa leaf has three or four pairs of leaflets, the terminal leaflet being the largest, and the pods are without hairs and are found within the tree canopy, while the Munondo leaf usually has six or more pairs of leaflets, the middle leaflets being the largest and the wooden pods are velvety and sit upright above the tree`s canopy.

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There are several species of fig tree around the lodges. Many grow on or near rocks, and their roots often seem to flow over granite surfaces.

The roots can penetrate deep into cracks and crevices in rocks and boulders and over the

years can split even large heavy rocks. Occasionally figs will germinate on

the bark of another tree, the roots then grow down to the ground and the host tree

may finally be enveloped completely and die – the fig is then known as a `strangler fig`. There are six

species of fig in the lodge grounds and over 2000 species worldwide. Each

has evolved together with its own species of wasp that crawls inside the receptacle

(the fig) to pollinate the flowers growing inside. The wasps carry nematodes, or eel-worms, of many different species with then which multiply inside the fig (which is why you sometimes get more protein than you bargained for when eating a fig!).

An economically important tree found growing in the lodge grounds is the Marula (Sclerocarya caffra). There is one growing just above the swimming pool, which can be recognised by its mottled bark and long leaves containing many leaflets. There was a film `The gods must be crazy` that had much success back in the 1980`s, in which elephants eat fermenting Marula fruits and become slightly drunk. Commercial success has come to the makers of a white alcoholic drink, Amarula Cream, now widely sold in airports and liquor shops worldwide. In Zimbabwe it is customary to make the fruits into drinks, conserves and jellies, all of which are most nutritious as the pulp contains four times as much vitamin C as orange juice. Even the nut can be eaten raw or cooked with porridge.

Other interesting species found around the lodge include:

Mobola Plum (Parinari curatellifolia). Walk from the reception towards the car park and on your left you will see a grove of these trees. This is a very important tree for the local communities as it produces a plum sized edible fruit which can be eaten or made into a refreshing drink or intoxicating liquor. In fact even in heavily popu-lated areas these trees are left standing when most other species have been felled.

The trees exude a very unpleasant characteristic smell at certain times of the year.

Poison-pod Albizia (Albizia versicolor). Several of these trees grow near the reception and there is one that overhangs the swimming pool. The large reddish brown pods are toxic to cattle and sheep. When the pods are young they are especially toxic. During high winds and storms these young pods fall to the ground resulting in acute cases of poisoning in livestock.

Small Knobwood (Fagara capensis). This never grows very large. One specimen can be found surrounded by a low stone wall above the pool. The trunk and branches are covered by thorns which indicates that this species must be palatable to some animal species (thorns are generally a method of defence against browsing mammals). As with most members of the citrus family the leaves smell strongly of citrus oil when crushed. An infusion of the leaves has been used to treat intestinal parasites, gastric disorders and is said to be very effective against colds – it was a popular treatment during an influenza epidemic in 1918.

Buffalo Thorn (Ziziphus mucronata). A common species with shiny leaves, straight and curved spines and small red berries in winter. The bark and roots are used for a variety of magico-medicinal purposes including treatment of skin infections, dysentery, lumbago and chest complaints while the leaves are chewed as an aphrodisiac. Some tribes believe that a person sheltering under this tree is immune to lightning, but the management at the lodge will not be held accountable for the health of anyone chewing the leaves or hiding under this tree in a storm!

Snot Apple (Azanza garckeana). A small tree with round leaves which produces handsome yellow flowers followed by large round berries. These are edible and if chewed a sticky, sweet and glutinous slime is produced. In western Zimbabwe the locals call them `uxhakhuxhaku`, this being the sound made as one chews the fruits.

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Velvet-leaved Combretum (Combretum molle). Feel the leaves and you will appreciate the English name of this tree. The fruits have four rigid wings, typical of the widespread and diverse combretum family. In traditional medicine the leaves provide dressings for wounds and the leaves and roots together are believed to be an antidote for snakebites.

Silver Terminalia (Terminalia sericea). The grey-blue leaves of the Silver Terminalia are a common sight along the edges of vleis and in woodland. Poles made from the small trees are often used as fence posts, the wood being resistant to attacks by termites.

Lavender Tree (Heteropyxis natalensis). A medium sized and quite common tree in rocky areas, this species has attractive white bark and shiny green leaves that turn red in autumn. When crushed the leaves and twigs release a very pleasant scent resembling that of lavender.

Wild Olive (Olea africana). There are large specimens on the hills behind the reception. This species is closely related to the Common Olive, widely grown for its edible fruits in areas of Mediterranean climate. The fruits of the Wild Olive are bitter, but still edible and widely sought after. The wood takes a fine finish and is suitable for high class cabinet and furniture work. This attractive tree is a good choice for frost prone gardens as it tolerates very cold positions.

Yellow Brachylaena (Brachylaena rotundata). This has unusual leaves, greyish-green above and almost white below, and produces flowers in large white sprays in winter. It is a member of the daisy and thistle family ; most of the other members of this family are herbs and shrubs and many have been adapted as garden plants.

For anyone who wishes to learn more about the trees there are a number of useful books. Many are out of print but the following can usually be obtained from one of the on line book retailers such as amazon.com

Trees of Southern Africa by Keith Coates Palgrave ; New Holland Publishers, Ltd ; 3 edition (December 2003). This is the bible for tree enthusiasts and was first published in 1977, if you can`t get the 2003 edition, any of the other editions are a good substitute.

How to identify Trees in Southern Africa by Braam Van Wyk ; Struik Publishers (January 2007) is widely available and while not having the detail of Palgraves` book it will enable the user to identify many species.

Checklist of Indigenous Trees found at The Lodge at the Ancient City

(Numbers are from Trees of Southern Africa by Keith Coates Palgrave)

• MORACEAE (the fig and mulberry family) 52 Cape Fig Ficus sur 55 Red-leaved Rock Fig Ficus ingens 57 Wild Fig Ficus natalensis 63 Mountain Rock Fig Ficus glumosa 65 Sycamore Fig Ficus sycamores 68 Giant-leaved Rock Fig Ficus lutea • URTICACEAE (the nettle family) 76 Snuggle Leaf Pouzolzia hypoleuca • PROTEACEAE (the protea family) 78 Beechwood Faurea saligna 82 African Protea Protea gaguedi • PITTOSPORACEAE (the pittosporum family) 155 Pittosporum Pittosporum viridiflorum • CHRYSOBALANACEAE (the mobola family) 166 Mobola Plum Parinari curatellifolia • LEGUMINOSAE (the pod bearing family) 172 Rough-barked Flat-crown Albizia adianthifolia 173 Bitter Albizia Albizia amara 175 Purple-leaved Albizia Albizia antunesiana 185 Poison Pod Albizia Albizia versicolor 219 White-thorn Tree Acacia ploycantha 220 Silky Acacia Acacia rehmanniana 224 Paperbark Acacia Acacia sieberana 230 Sickle Bush Dichrostachys cinerea 243 Burkea Burkea Africana 252 Msasa Brachystegia spiciformis 260 Munondo Julbernardia globiflora 265 Monkeybread Philostigma thonningi 280 Peltophorum Peltophorum africanum 352 Mukwa Pterocarpus angolensis 355 Round-leaved Bloodwood Pterocarpus rotundifolius

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• ERYTHROXYLACEAE (the coca family) 378 Common Coca Tree Erythroxylum emarginatum • RUTACEAE (the citrus family) 383 Small knobwood Fagara capensis 392 Twin-berry Tree Vepris bachmannii • SIMAROUBACEAE 406 White Syringa Kirkia acuminata • EUPHORBIACEAE (the euphorbia family) 445 Kudu Berry Pseudolachnostylus maprouneifolia 447 Tree Phyllanthus Margaritaria discoidea 465 Tasselberry Antidesma venosum 467 Mahobohobo Uapaca kirkiana 475 Mitzeerie Bridelia micrantha 476 Velvet Bridelia Bridelia mollis 527 Candelabra Tree Euphorbia ingens • ANACARDIACEAE (the mango family) 537 Marula Sclerocarya caffra 544 Resin Tree Ozoroa paniculosa 546 Red Currant Rhus Rhus chirindensis • CELASTRACEAE 569 Confetti Tree Maytenus senegalensis 571 Koko Tree Maytenus undata • SAPINDACEAE (the lichi and soap-berry family) 609 Sand Olive Dodonea augustifolia • RHAMNACEAE (the buffalo thorn family) 618 Buffalo Thorn Ziziphus mucronata 620 Bird Plum Berchemia discolour • VITACEAE (the grape family) 631 Warty Grape Rhoissicus revolii • TILIACEAE (the jute and linden family) 650 Donkeyberry Grewis flavescens 656 Gold-fruited Grewia Grewia micrantha • STERCULIACEAE (the cacao family) 687 Wild Pear Dombeya rotundifolia • FLACOURTIACEAE (the kei-apple family) 739 Flacourtia Flacourtia indica 744 Oval kei-apple Dovyalis zeyheri

• COMBRETACEAE (the combretum family) 775 Velvet-leaved combretum Combretum molle 791 Silver Terminalia Terminalia sericea • MYRTACEAE (the eucalyptus and guava family) 801 Woodland Waterberry Syzygium guineanse 805 Lavender Tree Heteropyxis natalensis • ARALIACEAE (the ivy and cussonia family) 814 Simple-leaved Cabbage Tree Cussonia natalensis 815 Cabbage Tree Cussonia spicata • SAPOTACEAE (the stamvrug family) 838 Stem-fruit Englerophyton magalismontanum 841 Common Red Milkwood Mimusops zeyheri • EBENACEAE (the ebony family) 849 Large-leaved Euclea Euclea natalensis 850 Bush guarri Euclea racemosa 858 Acorn diospyros Diospyros natalensis • OLEACEAE (the olive family)

864 Wing-leaved Wooden Pear Schrebera alata

868 Wild Olive Olea Africana

• LOGANIACEAE (the strychnos family)

881 Corky-bark Monkey Orange Strychnos cocculoides

892 Spiny Monkey Orange Strychnos spinosa

• APOCYNACEAE (the oleander family)

906 Simple-spined Carissa Carissa edulis

• BORAGINACEAE

974 Stamperwood Ehretia amoea

• LAMIACEAE (the verbena family)

988 Chocolate Berry Vitex payos

994 White Cat`s Whiskers Clerodendrum glabrum

1008 Ginger Bush Iboza riparia

• RUBIACEAE (the gardenia family)

1071 Large-leaved Common Gardenia Gardenia ternifolia

1096 Wild Medlar Vangueria infausta

1108 Common Canthium Psydrax livida

• COMPOSITAE (the daisy and thistle family)

1161 Yellow brachylaena Brachylaena rotundata

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FLOWERSZimbabwe boasts a wide variety of flowering plants. The best time to see many of these is during or shortly after the rains, but there is usually something of interest in bloom throughout the year.

In the months of March, April and May the rains have come and gone and the countryside is green and vibrant. This is a good time for creepers. Clematis brachiata often scrambles into the crowns of trees and covers them in a white blanket of flowers. The morning glory, or Ipomea family, is very conspicuous and three species are fairly common on the lodge grounds, Ipomea wightii with a large purple flower, Ipomea pileata with a smaller purple flower that seems to grow out of the centre of a leaf, and the smaller Ipomea plebeia with attractive little white flowers.

Several creepers of the legume family sprawl over rocks or in thickets. The most common is Vigna unguiculata which has attractive purple pea-shaped flowers and trifoliate leaves.

A very interesting flower found around the lodge grounds is the Alectra orobanchiodes. This is a parasite - its roots suck nutrients from other plants. The flowers are attractive yellow about 1cm across and are borne in vertical spikes which grow up 10cm or so above the ground. Elsewhere on the property the red flowering parasitic plant Striga asiatica can be found.

Around the chalets can be found a small herb with a long spike of small white flowers. On closer examination these are found to have red centres. This is Celosia trigyne from the Acanthaceae family.

Another distinctive flower is the Plectranthus sphaerophyllus. These form small clumps between rocks. The serrated round leaves and long spikes of purple flowers make this unmistakable.

There are plenty of ‘weeds’ present, especially on disturbed ground. Most are from the Asteraceae (Daisy family). Some of the more common species are Tithonia rotun-difolia (large orange flowers), Sonchus oleraeus (dandelion type flowers), Mexican marigold (small pungent smell when crushed, used as insect repellent), Mirabilis jalapa (numerous reddish flower) and Bedens formosa (the ubiquitous ‘blackjack’ that produces lots of long black seeds that stick into your clothes!)

A small Herb that may well attract attention due to its small pink bell shaped flowers is the Oxalis semiloba, or clover. Most plants have the regular three sectioned leaves, but look hard and you may be lucky and find that four leaved clover!

Checklist of some Flowers Recorded at the Lodge

• ACANTHACEAE (Acanthus family) Hypoestes forskalei Justicia betonica Justicia striata • AMARANTHACEAE (Amaranth Family) Celosia trigyna Silver spinach • ASTERACEAE (Daisy Family) Ageratum conyzoides Blue ageratum Bidens pilosa Blackjack Chrysanthemoides monilifera Bush-tick berry Cineraria Emilia discifolia Felicia mossamedensis Gerbera piloselloides Helichrysum argyrosphaerum Silver heads Helichrysum kraussii Helichrysum nudifolium Hottentot’s tea Lactuca imbricata Nidorella resedifolia Vernonia poskeana

Morning Glory

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• CAESALPINIACEAE (Bauhinia Family) Glycine wightii Wild kudzu vine • CAPPARACEAE (Caper Family) Cleome monophylla Spindle pod • CONVOLVULACEAE (Morning glory family) Ipomoea pileata Ipomoea plebeia Ipomoea wightii • EUPHORBIACEAE (Euphorbia Family) Acalypha villicaulis • FABACEAE (Pea Family) Cotolaria Crotalaria cylindrostachys Crotalaria virgulata Dolichos kilimandscharicus Wild lupin Indigofera vicioides Muncuna coriacea Buffalo bean Rhynchosa resinosa Sphenostylis marginata Yellow pea Vigna unguiculata Cow pea Vigna vexillata Zornia milneana • IRIDACEAE (Iris Family) Lapeirousia • LAMIACEAE (Mint Family) Hemizygia bracteosa Purple top Plectranthus sphaerophyllus • LILIACEAE (Lily Family) Asparagus falcatus • MALVACEAE (Hibiscus family) Hibiscus meeusei Small flowered meeusei Hibiscus vitifolius Vine-leaved hibiscus Sida cordifolia Flannel weed • OXALIDACEAE (Sorrel Family) Oxalis semiloba Sorrel • PEDALIACEAE (Sesame Family) Ceratothera triloba Wild foxglove

Dicerocaryum zanguebarium Devil’s thorn • RUBIACEAE (Coffee Family) Oldenlandia herbacea Richardia scabra Mexican clover • SCROPHULARIACEAE (Snapdragon Family) Alectra orobanchoides Strigia asiatica Maize witchweed • STERCULIACEAE (Cacao Family) Waltheria indica Waltheria • TILIACEAE (Linden family) Corchorus asplenifolius Triumfetta annua Triumfetta dekindtiana • TURNERACEAE (Turnera Family) Tricliceras longepedunculatum Roadside pimpernel • VERBENACEAE (Verbena Family) Clerodendrum ternatum Dwarf cat’s whiskers Lantana camara Lantana Lippia javanica Verbena tenuisecta Fine-leaved verbena • VITACEAE (Grape family) Ampelocissus africana Wild grape

Helichrysum kraussii

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Although butterflies are present throughout the year, they are more abundant during and after the rainy

season. Hot sunny days in March, April and May can be especially rewarding for butterfly enthusiasts.

A number of species can be seen around the swimming pool area. Most conspicuous are the Common Leopards, coloured bright orange with black spots and stripes. Each species of butterfly has food plants, on which it lays its eggs and on which its caterpillars feed. In the case of the Common Leopard one of its food plants is the Oval Kei-apple (Dovalis zeyheri), a small tree with light green glossy leaves. One of these trees grows just above the pool, and Common Leopard are nearly always close by.

One of the largest butterflies in Zimbabwe is the Citrus Swallowtail. They have a striking yellow and black colour, and are often on the wing on sunny summer days. As their name implies their larvae feed on plants and trees of the Citrus family. One such tree, Ironwood, occurs in the small clump of trees growing next to the camp fire area. This species has long sharp thorns and, when the leaf is crushed, one can smell the distinctive odour of citrus oil. The Citrus Swallowtail has taken to introduced crops such as lemons and can be an agricultural pest in orchids.

If you are looking out from the lodge towards the Great Zimbabwe Monument, a number of colourful species can often be seen flying around the canopy of the Msasa and Mnondo trees. The striking black and white wings of the Common Sailor immediately catch the eye. The Sailor glides effortless amongst the branches, rarely beating its wings, and changing course like a sail boat tacking against an ocean breeze. Its food plant includes members of the Euphorbia and Legume families. Another common inhabitant of the tree canopy is the Common Dotted Border, resplendent in yellow, white and orange, with black spots along the wing edges. One of the most widespread and conspicuous of the woodland butterflies in Zimbabwe, they are on the wing for long periods, fluttering around tree canopies and amongst branches and twigs. This species utilises a wide range of food plants, mainly in the Loranthaceae family.

The Common Dotted Border is just one member of the large Pieridae family of butterflies, most of which are strikingly coloured in combinations of yellow, white and orange. The Broad-bordered Grass Yellow is a small member of this family, coloured bright yellow with black wing tips, which is common around the lodge, especially in the more open grassy areas, and which breed on a herb of the Clusiaceae (St John`s Wort family).

BUTTERFLIES Another fascinating family of butterflies is the Lycanidae, comprising the Blues, Coppers and Hairtails. Nearly half of the species of butterflies found in South-ern Africa are from this family. One of the smallest members is the Common Blue which can often be seen flying weakly a few centimetres above the lawn in front of the Lodge. Many Lycanidae have fascinating symbiotic relationships with species of ants. The ants are supplied with a sweet larval secretion and in return the caterpillars receive protection from the ants.

The distribution of each species of butterfly is thus closely linked to the range of its food plant. Clearing of natural habitats for agriculture can thus have a profound effect on the butterfly population. The area of indigenous woodland that stretches around the Lodge and across to the Great Zimbabwe monument will hopefully always remain a sanctuary for the local butterfly species and their food plants.

Below is a list of some of the more common species found around the lodge. There are more than 100 species of butterflies in the area, and over 500 species of moths.

Butterflies Recorded at the Lodge at the Ancient City

• Family NYMPHALIDAE(Second largest butterfly family with over 6000 species worldwide. The front legs of the adults form brush-like sensory organs, so they appear to have only four legs instead of the normal six.).............................................................................................................................................................................................

Monarch Danus chrysippus 1 Novice Amaura ochlea 5 Chief Friar Amaurina echeria 7 Evening Brown Melanitis leda 8 Common Bush Brown Bicyclus safitza 11 Wichgraf’s Brown Stygionympha wichgrafi 75 Bushveld Ringlet Ypthima impura 81 Dancing Acraea Hyalites eponina 110 Natal Acraea Acraea natalica 117 Black-tipped Acraea Acraea caldarena 119 Green-veined Charaxes Charaxes candiope 142

Sailor

Common Dotted Border

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Foxy Charaxes Charaxes jasius 146 White-barred Charaxes Charaxes brutus 148 Large Blue Charaxes Charaxes bohemani 152 Pearl-spotted Charaxes Charaxes jahlusa 156 Bushveld Charaxes Charaxes achaemenes 161 Manx Charaxes Charaxes nichetes 176 Guineafowl Hamanumida daedalus 187 Common Sailor Neptis alta 199 Common Joker Byblica anvatara 212 Golden Piper Eurytela dryope 217 Clouded Mother of Pearl Papilio parhassus 223 Gaudy Commodore Precis octavia 226 Darker Commodore Salamis antilope 227 Garden Inspector Precis archesia 231 Yellow Pansy Precis hierta 235 Blue Pansy Precis oenone 236 Common Leopard Phalanta phalanta 245 • Family LYCAENIDAE(Largest and most diverse butterfly family, with over 6000 species worldwide. Many are highly specialised with small geographical ranges and are often rare. The larvae of some species are carnivorous.) ..........................................................................................................................................................................Yellow Zulu Alaena amazoula 249 Pied Zulu Alaena nyassa 252 Marshall’s Acraea Mimic Mimacraea marshalli 262 Common Woolly Legs Lachnocnema bibulous 284 Straight-lined Sapphire Iolaus silarus 319 Red-lined Sapphire Iolaus sidus 323 Brown Playboy Deudorix antalus 355 Natal Bar Spindasis natalensis 364 Common Scarlet Axiocerses tjoane 379 Common Hairtail Anthene definita 509 Striped Heart Uranothauma poggei 535 Black Pie Tuxentius melaena 545 Common Blue Leptotes pirithous 547 Lucerne Blue Lampides boeticus 552 Sooty Blue Zizeeria knysna 646

• Family PIERIDAE(Very colourful family of over 1000 species worldwide. Most species have a yellow or white base colour and red, orange, black or purple markings)..........................................................................................................................................................................African Clouded Yellow Colias electo 658 African Migrant Catopsilia florella 659 Common Grass Yellow Eurema hecabe 660 Broad-bordered Grass Yellow Eurema brigitta 661 Bushveld Orange Tip Colotis pallene 683 Brown-veined White Belenois aurota 691 African Common White Belenois creona 692 Common Dotted Border Mylothris agathina 707

• Family PAPILIONIDAE(Large, showy butterflies conspicuous when in flight)............................................................................................................................................................................Citrus Swallowtail Papilo demodocus 715 Green-banded Swallowtail Papilio nireus 716

• Family HESPERIIDAE(Often called ‘Skippers’ these butterflies are sometimes moth like with strongly built, hairy bodies. The larvae make leaf shelters for protection against predators)............................................................................................................................................................................Striped Policeman Coeliades forestan 730 Clouded Flat Tagiades flesus 737 Axehead Skipper Acada biseriatus 812

Numbers refer to species described in Pennington`s Butterflies of Southern Africa, sec-ond edition, published by Struik in Cape Town, South Africa..

Citrus Swallowtail

Foxy Charaxes

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Acknowledgements This guide was written by Rhett Butler, who also identified and drew up checklists for the mammals, birds, lizards, butterflies, trees and flowers. Any visitors to the lodge who record species not on the various checklists are invited to contact him at brachystegia498@gmail.com and their contributions will be included in future editions of this guide book.

The drawings that illustrate the guide book were done by Rob Hume of the Royal Society for the Preservation of Birds, Sandy, Beds, UK. The chapter `Great Zimbabwe Explained` was written by Rob Burrett, Raymond Brown provided the commentary on the four poems and Kevin Walsh the description of the geology of the area. Prospah Rusike is the author of the two stories about Great Zimbabwe.

ReservationsIf you wish to stay at the lodge please contact Touch The Wild reservations, telephone Bulawayo 888922 or Harare 772587, or email ttwres@byorainbow.co.zw

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Notes