KING SOLOMON'S MINES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20229, 13 April 1929, Page 2 (Supplement)

KING SOLOMON'S MINES.

EXPLORATION BY AIR., an enterprising woman INVESTIGATION OF RUINS, AN OLD LEGEND RECALLED, Exploration by aeroplane is to be one of the thrills of Miss Gertrude CatonThompson, whom the cablegras an-, nounced recently as ready to leave London on a trip to Southern Rhodesia tq visit King Solomon's mines. Miss Caton-Thompson will be accompanied by Miss Norie, a professional architect, and Miss K. Kenyon, daughter of Sir Frederick Kenyon, director of tho British Museum. Tho scene of their future work is the legendary site of King Solomon's mines. On this site stands tho Zimbabwe ruins, consisting of large circular walls with fortified gateways, which are commonly supposed to be fortresses and temples. Local legends say that King Solomon and thf. Queen o! Sheba wero associated with i'Ji older civilisation there, and the lato Lir Rider Haggard has perpetuated these legends in his books. Art aeroplane will probably bo used by Miss Caton-Thompson in her preliminary survey of the ruins. She considers the aeroplane of the greatest value in exploration work, and hopes to obtain a machine from Bulawayo, tho nearest town of importance. " I shall be glad when I can get to grips with ray job," Miss Caton-Thomp-son declared before her departure. "lb is a long journey, and tho preliminary, work is very tedious." A cool, self-, possessed young woman, she is of medium height. Her face is still slightly tanned by the hot sun of Egypt, where she did brilliant work for the Royal Anthropological Institute. "On the outward journey I shall spend some time in Egypt," she stated. " I am going upcountry to collect equipment." Preliminary Investigations. " I shall take a boat at Port Said and land at Beira, in Portuguese East Africa, and then go straight to Southern Rhodesia, The whole of February and probably March will be occupied with prospecting, gleaning information, and finding local labour. My assistants are joining me in March. I selected Miss Norie because, as I view the problem before us, I think it will be extremely valuable to have thorough architectural records of tho ruins. Miss Kenyon has just come down front Oxford University, and this will be her first introduction to excavation work., The British Association has been granted permission to excavate two important groups of ruins—one at Zimbabwe and the other at Dblo-Dhlo (pronounced FloFlo). Dhlo-Dhlo lies to tho north of Bulawayo. I hope to begin work as soon as the rainy season ends probably early in March." Describing the objects of her expedition, Miss Caton-Thompson said there wcr3 conflicting opinions in the archaeological world as to the probable date of the ruins. There is a strong feeling in favour of their being remote, prehistoric B.C. There is, on the other hand, an equally strong and well-authenti-cated view that they are not earlier than! mediaeval. Years of Excavation. ** The advocates of both points of view have made out quite a-- good case, but tho evidence on neither side i 3 conclusive. In my opinion tho solution to tho problem will be found only by prolonged and careful excavation an<i observation, carried out over probably a number of years in different parts of Rhodesia. It is nob my job to hold preconceived theories as to -which is cor 4', rect. The job of excavator is to be as accurate an observor and recorder as is possible. If the ruins are mediaeval they are conceivably native work executed with s certain infiltration of outside ideas—prol- - borrowed from mining prospectors* The "other school would see in them 3 definite foreign civilisation, entering purely, for the purpose of mining." Miss Caton-Thompson would not com-" mit herself on the question of whether King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba; were ever associated with tho district.; "Itis an old legend," she stated. "Wo know that the Queen of Sheba ana King Solomon had very large dealings in gold; and that Rhodesia is a gold mining try, but there is no other literary } 6i archaeological evidence for that view. One; doesn't rule out the possibility of Asians influence, of course. Sites of Ancient Dwellings. "It is conceivable that yon migK get people from the direction of Asia Minim? but it is pure speculation. There is nofi a fragment of evidence that it was so.' When tho early Portuguese and Dutch seti tiers reached tho cogst of Mozambique, 1 in the Middle Ages, they found a very strong tribal organisation there. Thai most famous ruler of the kingdom wa'a called Mono Motapa. Many tales of the inhabitants, showing the magnificence of tho kingdom, have been handed down to us by the early colonisers. My main object will bo to discover the dwelling sites of thoso ancient people." Miss Caton-Thompson and heT party will bo armed, but they do not anticipate any occasion for using their weapons.- " I shall report the result of my firstseason's investigations to the meeting of tho British Asociation, w ; hich takes place in South Africa next August," she nddeoL