Ship engravings at Kilepwa, Mida Creek, Kenya

ABSTRACT

With the archaeological survey of shipwrecks on the East African coast in its infancy, ship engravings are a source for maritime information for the medieval period. This paper reports on the discovery of engravings incised into the plaster of the internal wall of a fifteenth-century house on the island of Kilepwa at Mida Creek, Kenya. The engravings show Indian Ocean vessels resembling mitepe at rest and at sail, including mast, sail, prow and planking details. The function of the building is discussed and the evidence from the engravings considered in terms of boat technology, navigation and local belief. The engravings are considered to have been drawn by people involved with the oceanic economy at Kilepwa, a convenient port for large vessels close to the main channel. Finally, possible purposes of the drawings are discussed, including that of a votive or charm function.

RESUME

L'étude archéologique des épaves sur la côte de l'Afrique de l’Est étant à ses débuts, les gravures de navires offrent une source d'informations maritimes pour la période médiévale. Cet article rend compte de la découverte de gravures incisées dans le plâtre de la paroi interne d'une maison du quinzième siècle sur l'île de Kilepwa à Mida Creek, au Kenya. Les gravures montrent des navires de l'océan Indien ressemblant à des mitepe et au repos et avec les voiles déployées, montrant le mât, la voile, la proue et les détails du bordage. La fonction du bâtiment est considérée et les données fournies par les gravures sont examinées en termes de la technologie du navire, la navigation, et les croyances locales. Les gravures ont probablement été effectuées par des personnes qui étaient impliquées dans l'économie océanique à Kilepwa, un port commode pour les grands navires à proximité du canal principal. Enfin, les fonctions possibles des dessins sont considérées, y compris une possible fonction votive ou en tant que charme.

KEYWORDS:

• Swahili
• Indian Ocean
• charm
• medieval
• ship engravings
• mtepe

Acknowledgements

We should like to thank Dr Geoffrey Mwachala and Dr Stephen M. Rucina from National Museums of Kenya and Dr Joost Fontein, Gilbert Oteyo, John Kanyingi, Susan Ongoro and Tomas Zak from the British Institute in Eastern Africa. We also thank the editors and three anonymous reviewers for their comments. The fieldwork was funded by the British Institute in Eastern Africa.

Notes on contributors

Edward Pollard is a graduate of University of Bristol and University of Ulster and a former Assistant Director at the British Institute of Eastern Africa (BIEA). He has research interests in maritime archaeology and geoarchaeology with experience from around the North Atlantic, the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean. He has worked as an archaeological consultant in Australia, Ireland and Scotland and has taught archaeology in Menorca and Orkney. Since 2002 he has been visiting the East African coast working on coastal, intertidal and underwater environments and has research projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Mozambique.

Caesar Bita has a Masters degree in Archaeology from the University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and holds Postgraduate Diplomas in Management of Heritage and Museum Collections (University of Nairobi) and Underwater Archaeology (Underwater Archaeology Centre, China). He is the Underwater Archaeologist for National Museums of Kenya, co-ordinates terrestrial and underwater archaeological research and underwater cultural heritage management in coastal Kenya and has broader research interests in the maritime archaeology of the western Indian and Atlantic seaboards, African archaeology and underwater cultural heritage management.