128 THE ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE DISTRICT
marked off by the two inner doorways, and the more
easterly of these two doorways is at the point where
the sun would appear when rising at the summer
solstice when regarded from the central altar, as will
be shown further o n ; and the other doorway is at
the point where the decoration on the outer wall
terminates, and that is at the part of the wall where
the sun’s rays would be tangential to its curve when
rising at the same solstice. The portion of the outer
wall behind the above-mentioned sacred enclosure is
built in the form of a circular arc with its two extremities
at B and K, and its centre at p , and the
tower stands midway between these points. Close to
the great tower is the little one, and no reason for
its position suggests itself; but the relative proportions
of the two towers are curious, and seem to offer
an explanation of the plan of some other parts of
the building—in fact, the diameter of the great tower
seems to have represented the unit of measure in
the construction of the curves of the outer walls and
of all the regularly curved inner walls in the great
temple, and in all the well-built temples in Mashona-
land. The diameter of the great tower at its base is
17 17 feet or 10 cubits,1 and this is exactly equal to
the circumference of the little tower. This ratio of
circumference to diameter and the above measure of
, m 7 feet is equal to 10 cubits of 20-62 inches; and as all
Darts of the building which we have been able to measure accurately