PIT STRUCTURES

The Pit Structures or "enclosure pits" are a type of pit 2 m deep and 4 to 6 m in diameter, the true origin of which is not known with certainty. Although it has been estimated that they were dug in the course of the ^sixteenth century, the analyses concerning their use hardly agree. Referring to the ancient name Slave Pits, some assume that they were used to hold prisoners; however, no archaeologist has found evidence of these subjugated tribes. Some historians believe that they were symbolic representations of the womb of Astarte, Phoenician goddess of fertility, while researchers, much more realistic, would see in them some kind of reservoirs to store grain... The mystery of these holes into which one penetrated through narrow tunnels has not been completely solved. One theory comes up quite often and seems to be the most likely hypothesis today: these pits were actually used as pens for small livestock, whose entrance and exit were probably blocked with stakes. Pits, surrounded by traditional thatched huts that almost touch the ground (the most stable structure to resist the wind), have been rebuilt in the vicinity of Nyanga Dam to allow tourists to appreciate this original architecture. The real Pit Structures are scattered throughout the park, alone or in small groups of 5 to 12 pits.