The Ruined Cities of Mashonaland, Being a Record of Excavation and Exploration in 1891, With a Chapter on the Orientation and Mensuration of Temples

xxx, 428pp plus 24pp of publisher’s adverts at rear. Tissue-guarded frontispiece and numerous other plate illustrated and drawing in text. Coloured endpapers. In purple cloth covered boards with silver lettering on front and spine, top edge gilt (boards rubbed at edges, frayed and cracked at base of spine, corners rounded, a few marks). Embossed stamp on front free endpaper, previous owner’s name on next page, a little faint, occasional spotting. Rear endpaper has corner crease. The hard to find1895 third edition of English explorer, archaeologist and author James Theodore Bent’s account of his exploration and excavations in northern Zimbabwe, Mashonaland, in 1891. Bent hoped to discover details about the early history of East Africa but his conclusions have been largely rejected but subsequent researchers. Small 8vo.