Ulster and the Indian Ocean? Recent maritime archaeological research on the East African coast. (Special section).

Breen, Colin ; Forsythe, Wes ; Lane, Paul 等

In January 2001, a team of researchers from the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) conducted an innovative maritime archaeology project on the East African coast in partnership with the British Institute in Eastern Africa and the National Museums of Kenya. Its focus was Mombasa Island on the southern Kenyan coast, a historical settlement and port for nearly 2000 years (Berg 1968; Sassoon 1980; 1982). The East African seaboard, stretching from Somalia in the north to Madagascar and Mozambique in the south, was culturally dynamic throughout the historical period. This area, traditionally known as the Swahili coast, is culturally defined as a maritime zone extending 2000 km from north to south, but reaching a mere 15 km inland. The origins of `Swahili' cultural identity originated during the middle of the 1st millennium AD, following consolidation of earlier farming and metal-using Bantu-speaking communities along the coast and emergence of a distinctive `maritime' orientation and set of cultural traditions (e .g. Allen 1993; Chami 1998; Helm 2000; Horton & Middelton 2000). Previous research produced evidence of exploitation of marine resources for food and an early engagement in long-distance exchange networks, linking parts of this coast with the Classical world by at least the BC/AD transition. Towards the end of the 1st millennium AD, trade had grown in scope and geographical extent, linking the East African littoral with other lands bordering the Indian ocean, including China, India and the Arabian Peninsula. Around this period, a series of autonomous walled coastal towns were established, which developed into important settlement and trading locations by the 13th century, whose primary functions included the control and management of trade and communications along the eastern seaboard of Africa and the exploitation of the marine and coastal resources. European influence arrived in the 16th century when the Portuguese established control over port-towns along this seaboard, in places establishing their own forts (e.g. Kirkman 1974). This control was only broken in the late 17th century by Omani Arabs, who subsequently dominated this coastline for 150 years.

Although there is a well-established tradition of archaeological research along the East African coast little specifically maritime archaeological work has taken place, except work on the `Mombasa wreck' directed by Robin Piercy (Lynch 1991). The primary aim of our project was to study the port-town and island of Mombasa using contemporary integrated landscape approaches. The project involved archaeologists, geologists, geophysicists and historians in an examination of the development of the island's cultural landscape. Systematic survey on the foreshore discovered dense ceramic scatters, the earliest relating to the early 7th- and 8th-century AD settlement associated with the Tana Tradition.

A number of the ceramics found were amongst the earliest ever recovered from Mombasa and point to earlier hinterland contact than had previously been anticipated. Terrestrial survey, combined with small-scale excavation and use of various archival sources, helped refine existing records regarding the location of the two earliest formal urban-like settlements on the island. This component of the project also revealed extensive evidence for exploitation of maritime resources in the form of fish traps and early landing places associated with the development of the urban settlements.

The seabed off the north side of Mombasa in the area of Tudor Creek was extensively surveyed using a suite of marine geophysical survey equipment, including sidescan sonar, marine magnetometer and echo-sounder. This produced a three-dimensional perspective of the submerged landscape around Mombasa and highlighted 50 suspected cultural anomalies on the seabed in the vicinity of the Old Port (FIGURE 1). A number of these targets were dived upon with interesting results (FIGURE 2). Five of the contacts were wrecks of 19th- and 20th-century African and Indian traders. One contact was especially interesting and appears to be a wreck mound dating to the 18th century or earlier. A number of intact ships' timbers protrude from the mound and a range of late 17th- and 18th-century ceramics and bottles lie scattered around. The site of the Portuguese frigate Santo Antonio de Tanna, lost in 1697 (Lynch 1991), was also re-surveyed.

[FIGURES 1-2 OMITTED]

The bathymetric survey revealed an area of scoured deep directly adjacent to the location of the original medieval port (FIGURE 3). The presence of this natural feature facilitated development of the port, allowing anchorage and deep-water berthage for visiting Arab and African merchant sailing vessels (FIGURE 5). The survey also highlighted the off-shore reef along this section of the coast, which provides a natural protective barrier for shipping.

[FIGURES 3-5 OMITTED]

Work on the project is scheduled to continue, and will improve knowledge and understanding of the maritime archaeology of the East African coast from the 1st millennium AD to the present day. Project data will be used to formulate future research designs and resource management programmes initiated by the National Museums of Kenya.

References

ALLEN, J. DE V. 1993. Swahili origins: Swahili culture and the Shungwaya phenomenon. London: James Currey.

BERG, F.J. 1968. The Swahili community of Mombasa, 1500-1900, Journal of African History 9: 35-56.

CHAMI, F.A. 1998. A review of Swahili archaeology, African Archaeological Review 15: 199-218.

HELM, R.M. 2000. Conflicting histories: The archaeology of the iron-working, farming communities in the central and southern coast of Kenya. Unpublished Ph.D thesis, University of Bristol.

HORTON, M.C. & J. MIDDELTON. 2000. The Swahili: The social landscape of a mercantile society. Oxford: Blackwell.

KIRKMAN, J.S. 1974. Fort Jesus: A Portuguese fortress on the East African coast. Oxford: Clarendon Press. BIEA Memoir 4.

LYNCH, M. (ed.). 1991. The Mombasa wreck excavation, INA Newsletter 18/2.

SASSOON, H. 1980. Excavations at the site of early Mombasa. Azania 15: 1-42.

1982. The mosque and pillar at Mbaraki: a contribution to the history of Mombasa Island, Azania 17: 79-97.

Brian Williams, Breen, Forsythe, McErlean, McConkey & Quinn, Centre for Maritime Archaeology, University of Ulster, Coleraine BT52 1SA, Northern Ireland. cp.breen@ulst.ac.uk w.forsythe@ulst.ac.uk RJ.Quinn@ulst.ac.uk TC.McErlean@ulst.ac.uk Lane, British Institute in Eastern Africa, PO Box 30710, Nairobi, Kenya. pjlane@insightkenya.com Omar, Coastal Archaeologist, Fort Jesus Museum, PO Box 82412, Mombasa, Kenya. motco@swiftmombasa.com Williams, Environment & Heritage Service, Department of the Environment, 5-33 Hill Street, Belfast, BT1 2LA, Northern Ireland. brian.williams@doeni.gov.uk