NOTABLE TRAVELLER

Hokitika Guardian, 27 January 1932, Page 6

NOTABLE TRAVELLER

WOMAN ARCHAEOLOGI ST RETURNS. ACTIVITIES IN EAST AFRICA. WELLINGTON, January 20. Among the passengers on the Maknra, which arrived at Wellington this morning from Sydney, was Lady le Fleming, of Dunedin, who since last May, in her capacity of an archaeologist, has visited Norway, Sweden, Esthonia, Finland, Latvia, and Denmark, and "'ho has investigated mysterious ruins in the heart of East Africa. In 1930 she also visited many countries, and, travelled 40,000 miles in seven months. ’She is now on her way home fora rest necessitated hy injuries which she received in a motor accident. In an interview. Lady le Flaming said she considers that her most interesting experience was her recent examination of the ruins of Zimbabwe, west of Beira, in East Africa. She visited the ruins to investigate two opinions expressed about their antiquity—whether they w’ere comparatively recent, the original buildings having been erected about 1000 years ago; or whether they corresponded with the era of great Babylonian power being built by people strongly influenced by Babylon. From the evidence of certain motifs and hawk symbols in the the decorations on the buildings, Lady le Fleming said she believed that the latter view was correct, and that the original buildings were erected under Bab.vlonan influence. Tens of thousands of slaves must have laboured to erect the buildings, which were of black granite, stone which was not to be found anywhere near the neighbourhood. On the hills at each side of the valley at Zimbabwe stood the ruins of a military acropolis and a temple, both of impressive size.. The walls of the temple ruins were fourteen inches thick, and within there was evidence of human sacr'ice. Lady le Fleming has written many articles on travel subjects, ancient history, and archaeology. She said that these had been published under a nom-de-plume, and not even her own sister was aware of her identity with a certain writer, and archaeologist. Lady le Fleming is the widow of Sir Andrew le Fleming, eighth Baronet of By dal, who died in Duedin in 1925.