Shipwreck Evidence from Kilwa, Tanzania

Abstract

This article reports on the artefacts and environment of marine ballast and pottery sites identified through inter‐tidal and underwater survey around Kilwa, Tanzania, one of the most important medieval sultanates along the east African coast. An inter‐tidal site on the limestone fringing reef on the approaches to Kilwa Kisiwani Harbour and an underwater site within the harbour have been dated from associated pottery to c.8th–10th century and the 13th–16th century respectively. The presence of exotic basalt ballast is discussed as an indicator of wreck‐sites.

Evidencias de naufragio en kilwa, tanzania

Este artículo reporta los artefactos y el ambiente de los sitios de lastre y cerámica identificados mediante la prospección intermareal y subacuática entorno a Kiliwa, Tanzania, uno de los más importantes sultanatos medievales de la costa este de África. Un yacimiento intermareal en el arrecife periférico calcáreo en las cercanías del puerto Kilwa Kisiwani y un sitio subacuático dentro del puerto han sido datados por la cerámica asociada entre los siglos ca. VIII‐X y XIII‐XVI respectivamente. Se discute la presencia de un lastre exótico de basalto como indicador de naufragios.

Translated by Ricardo Borrero, with support from the Honor Frost Foundation

Ikisiri: Makala hii inaelezea ugunduzi wa viashiria vya meli kale mbili zilizozama katika mwambao wa pwani ya Kilwa Kisiwani zikiwa zimesheheni badhaa mbalimbali, vikiwemovyombo vya udongo. Soroveya iliyofanyika ndani ya bahari na maeneo ya fukwe za mwambao wa Kilwa Kisiwani, mojawapo ya miji mikongwe katika Pwani ya Afrika Mashariki, ilibainisha kwamba, meli mojawapo ilizama katika lango kuu la kuingilia bandari ya Kilwa Kisiwani, ilihali nyingine ilizama pembezoni mwa ‘jiwe la jahazi’. Masalia ya meli kale hizi pamoja na bidhaa zilizokuwemo ndani vinaashiria kwamba tukio la kuzama kwa meli mojawapo lilitokea kati ya karne ya nane na ya kumi, ilihali meli nyingine ilizama kati ya karne ya kumi na tatu na ya kumi na sita. Ugunduzi huu unatanabaisha kuwepo kwa mahusiano ya kibiashara baina ya wenyeji wa pwani ya Kilwa na kati ya mataifa ya Uarabuni, ‘mashariki ya kati’ na ‘mashariki ya mbali’ kwa kipindi cha kati ya karne ya nane na ya kumi na sita–takribani miaka 1300 iliyopita.

Key words:

• Kilwa
• Tanzania
• medieval
• shipwrecks
• basalt ballast

Acknowledgements

Fieldwork was funded by National Geographic Society (NGS) and British Institute in Eastern Africa (BIEA). Thanks are due to Drs Colin Breen and Rory Quinn (Ulster), Prof Paul Lane (Uppsala), Dr Seth Priestman (Edinburgh), John Kanyingi, Okeny Charles Kinyera, Agathe Dupeyron, Prof. Ambreena Manji and Dr Joost Fontein (BIEA), Dr Stephanie Wynne‐Jones (York/Uppsala), Dr Stéphane Pradines (Aga Khan), Christopher Thornton (NGS), Prof Monica Smith (UCLA), Joyce Kam (Brandenburg/Helwan), Rahma Mpangala (Dar es Salaam) and Dr Bill Jeffery (Guam) for supporting the research. The Department of Antiquities, Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, and the Tanzania National Commission for Science and Technology issued research permits. Finally, the authors are grateful to the editor and two anonymous referees for their edits and comments.