Gayre-The Origin of the Zimbabwean Civilisation
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THE ORIGIN OF THE ZIMBABWEAN CIVILISATION R.GAYRE OF GAYRE Appendices on some of the Principal Ruins of Rhodesia E. LAYLAND GALAXIE PRESS © Galaxie Press, 1972 All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions thereof in any form except for the inclusion of brief quotations in a review P.O. Box 3041, Salisbury Maps and Ground Plans: Len Curling Jacket Design: Joan van der Merwe Set in Monotype Century by Typeset (Pvt.) Ltd., Salisbury Printed by Litho Services (Pvt.) Ltd., Salisbury PREFACE This book arose out of a discussion I had with Major Layland and the publisher, during a visit to Rhodesia. I had worked on the subject for a number of years, frequently visited the ruins, and knew well many of the Bantu peoples involved. I am indebted to Major Layland for his assistance, where I have been able to make use of it. This book has been undertaken to present what I consider to be the most rational and scientific interpretation of the evidence produced by the phenomena associated with the megalithic ruins of Rhodesia of which Great Zimbabwe, Khami, Naletale, Dhlo-Dhlo, and the terraces of Inyanga, with Mapungubwe in the Transvaal, are the best known examples. I have not thought it necessary to set out a detailed description of these sites in the body of the text as there is ample literature dealing with them. There are some short descriptions written by Major Layland in an appendix for the benefit of those who have not ready access to the existing literature on the subject. My purpose has been to interpret certain facts of archaeology, and to make a synthesis of them with those of anthropology, and particularly ethnology, comparative religion, geographical communications and dis tributions. The whole subject of non-Negroid influence in East and Southern Africa before the coming of the Bantu is a very wide one. The evidence to be culled from rock paintings and engravings alone is something of the greatest importance in this respect. I have, however, rigorously confined myself to the civilisation alone. In this I have found myself on the side of Professors Keane, Dart, Galloway, and the other distinguished scholars who have been forced by the sheer weight of facts to reject a Bantu origin for Zimbabwe. I have not, however, in reluctantly pursuing the task of showing how impossible the pro-Bantu concept is, felt it necessary to present an historic ethnology of Southern Africa. What is so astonishing is that, faced with a huge complex of irrigation terraces at Inyanga and the size of those megalithic sites which obviously required such an agricultural organisation to feed their inhabitants, anyone should have irresponsibly plunged into the development of a theory of THE ORIGIN OF THE ZIMBABWEAN CIVILISATION independent Bantu evolution of this civilisation. It is completely out of character of the Bantu and has no justification from other Negroid parts of Africa past or present. Irrigation is limited to the Caucasoid, Mongoloid, and Amerindian peoples. The Negroes never have possessed the technical knowledge nor expended labour in such massive enterprises. Irrigation is a characteristic of ancient Egypt, Arabia, Abyssinia, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley civilisation, of Iran, Turkestan, Syria and the Mediterranean countries, of Malaysia, Indo-China, China and the Meso-American civilisa tions. In the face of such facts sufficient warning was provided for those who have sought to deny the obvious and create this Bantu myth. It is a myth which was not created by the Bantu themselves, who have never made such claims, but is the work of modern European writers. Indeed, Mutwa, a Zulu, who has written two large works on the traditions of the Bantu, categorically states his people were not responsible for this civilisation, which he attri butes to a white people he calls the Ma-iti. It is my view that the case presented is unanswerable in so far as it destroys the concept that this civilisation is due to the Bantu. Whether I have correctly identified those to whom the civilisation is to be attributed may well be arguable as there are so many peoples involved. But, whatever is the final judgement, those indicated cannot fail to have played some important part in the creation of the Rhodesian antiquities we have described. It is important to point out that I take full responsibility for the writing of the book, for the adopting of any particular theory, such as the rejection of a Phoenician or an Islamic origin for the megalithic buildings we now see in Rhodesia, and, above all, I accept full responsibility for any severe comments which may be made in this book concerning the work of other investigators alive or dead. These views are not necessarily to be attributed to Major Layland, who, in his work as a collaborator, is not responsible for the actual writing of this book and these views to which I have referred. I wish to acknowledge my indebtedness to the publishers for collaboration in providing the excellent illustrative material which has been gathered together by them to illuminate the subject. Although it is the modern custom in scientific writing to put the name of the author, and year of his publication in brackets, in the text, we have not followed this economy habit. It breaks the sentence unnecessarily and does not lend itself to exact citation with any necessary comments from the author. I wish to express my indebtedness to Miss M. E. Arbuthnot for under taking to read the manuscript, as a result of which, faults of which an author is capable in the course of the hurry of writing, have been corrected. December 1970 R. GAYRE OF GAYRE AND NIGG. CONTENTS Page List of Illustrations and Acknowledgements 9 1 The Geographical Background of East Africa in Relation to Climate, Movement and Navigation 15 2 East Africa: its Exploration and Trade with the Outside World 24 3 Mineral Resources and Plant Distribution in Relation to Settlement in Eastern Africa 49 4 Introduction to a few of the Exotic Elements of Culture relevant to the Zimbabwean Civilisation 59 5 The Megalithic and Foreign Character of the Rhodesian Zimbabwean Culture; and its Relationship to Structures in the Mediterranean Area and Arabia 71 6 Saba or the Yemen as a Great Maritime Power 88 7 The Significance of the Falashas, the so-called Black Jews of Abyssinia 93 8 The Parallel between Zimbabwe and Nubia in Relation to Foreign Cultural Influences 98 9 A Criticism of the Theory that the Bantu created the Zimbabwean Civilisation 101 10 The Age of the Zimbabwe Ruins and its Bearing upon the People who erected them 108 11 Founders of Zimbabwe 119 12 Ethnological Evidence of pre-Islamic Sabaean and other Foreign Origins from Bantu Source 128 13 The Relevance of the Religious Concepts found in the Zimbabwean Civilisation 138 14 Islamic Influence 161 15 The Ethnology of Zingian Africa 165 16 Rhodesian Gold Extraction in Ancient Times 177 17 Foreign Articles and Artefacts found in the Great Zimbabwe Ruins 185 18 The Collapse of the Zimbabwean Civilisation 197 19 The Monomotapa and Early Records of Zimbabwe 205 20 The Zimbabwe Myth: Misconception of the Century 212 Appendix I The Ruins at Naletali, Khami and Dhlo Dhlo and those of Van Niekerk 223 Appendix II Table of Comparisons between the Awwam Temple, Marib, Yemen and Great Zimbabwe Temple 234 Bibliography I Works Cited in the Text 235 Bibliography II Selected Works bearing on the Subject, not cited in the Text 241 Index 243 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Monochrome Page 14 A view of the Temple ruin known Page 56 Walling and steps at Zimbabwe. as the Great Zimbabwe. Photo: Rhodesia Photo: Ministry of Information, Salisbury, National Tourist Board. Rhodesia. Page 25 Western part of the map of the Page 61 top: This photograph shows the world, Atlante Mediceo, 1351, or the overgrown state of Zimbabwe in 1890. Portolano Laurenzano Gadiano, showing By courtesy of the National Archives of that Africa was known to be able to be Rhodesia. Photo: Ellerton Fry, 1890. circumnavigated (except for its narrow land junction with Asia) nearly 150 years Page 61 bottom: The Temple of Great before the Portuguese discovered the Cape Zimbabwe after initial clearing revealed route to India. By courtesy of the Biblioteca the break in the wall caused by the fall of Laurenzia, Florence. an ancient hardwood tree from within the derelict ruin, as described by Carl Mauch Page 39 Map of Southern Africa, dated in 1870. By courtesy of the National 1564, by Giacomo Gastaldi, showing Archives of Rhodesia. Photo: Ellerton Fry, Zimbabwe in its correct latitude and in 1890. relation to Sofala on the coast. From Studia, vol. 2, July 1958. Photo: National Page 62 Overgrown ruins of Zimbabwe in Archives of Rhodesia. the 1890s makes unreasonable the claim that it was occupied until 1835. By Page 48 A view of masonry of the courtesy of the National Archives of Acropolis overlooking Zimbabwe in the Rhodesia. Photo: Ellerton Fry, 1890. background. Photo: Ministry of Informa Page 64 This photograph was taken by tion, Salisbury, Rhodesia. the official photographer to the Pioneer Page 50 A stele on the wall of the Column in 1890, and shows the partially- Acropolis, Zimbabwe. Photo: Ministry of cleared Conical Tower at Great Zimbabwe. Information, Salisbury, Rhodesia. It was more densely covered with vegeta tion when discovered by Carl Mauch in Page 53 The Parallel Passages in the 1870. By courtesy of the National Archives Elliptical Temple at Zimbabwe. Photo: of Rhodesia. Photo: Ellerton Fry, 1890. Ministry of Information, Salisbury, Rhodesia.