ROMANCE AMONG RUINS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LI, Issue 16871, 28 October 1925, Page 9

ROMANCE AMONG RUINS.

INTERESTING DISCOVERY. SLAVE BANGLES, IN RHODESIA. CAPETOWN, Aug. 28.—A most important and valuable archaeological discovery lias been made among the wonderful terrace ruins at Inyanga, Zebra Valley, Southern Rhodesia. Mr. Edward Rossitcr, who is an enthusiastic and intelligent explorer of the region in question, has spent not a little time among these terraces, which are at least as remarkable as the Zimbabwe ruins. They consist of miles and miles of terraced walls along the slopes of a mountain range in the Inyanga district, and although they have been to some, extent described as terraces they have never been scientifically investigated with any thoroughness. Mr. Hossiter says: ‘1 have at last been able to get down to something tangible by the discovery 10ft, deep, under alluvial soil, of an ancient urn containing live copper bangles. The urn on being exposed to the air crumpled to dust. I agree with the assistant curator of the Rhodesia Museum and the Rev. Nelville Jones that, these bangles are probably broken from the legs of dead slaves. They are very thick. 1 am presenting one to the Transvaal University.

“1 estimate their age at from 8000 lo 10,000 years. This find is a very important one ; it not only gives me a place or point at which to commence the search for further articles, but these bungles are the only articles which have ever been discovered among the terrace ruins, It also shows that the people were workers with copper and probably bad intercourse with some [place far in the interior, as the nearest place to Inyanga where copper is kn|>wii to exist is many hundreds of miles away.

“The bangles arc of pure copper and certainly the work of those who knew the art of refining minerals.” Mr. Alfred Frost, assistant curator and geologist of the Rhodesia. Museum, Bulawayo, in a, letter of thanks to the correspondent frtr the bangle presented to the institution, says: “You are certainly engaged on most useful and interesting work which ought to prove of. some value to archaeologists later on when they find time and opportunity to investigate the place thoroughly.”