Pushing the boat out : a study of spatial organisation and harbour spaces in the early Swahili ports of the Zanzibar Archipelago, 550-1100 CE
The aim of this thesis is to identify maritime activity and patterns of spatial organisation through archaeological survey at first millennium coastal settlements in the Zanzibar Archipelago, in order to explore the nature of proto-Swahili harbours and evaluate the role of maritime activity as a component of proto-Swahili settlement in the region. Despite frequent scholarly reference to the maritime cultural identity of the Swahili there has been little consideration of the maritime archaeology of first millennium East African coastal settlements. Although intertidal zones associated with later sites have been surveyed, no investigation has ever been conducted into the nature of proto-Swahili harbours. The work presents an inductive investigation of proto-Swahili harbours between the sixth and eleventh centuries in the Zanzibar Archipelago, based on observations of industrial and maritime activity in open areas along the shorelines of Swahili ports. This thesis focuses on the geophysical survey, GIS analysis, and evaluation of the maritime areas of three contemporary sites; Unguja Ukuu (c. 600-1100 CE) and Fukuchani (c. 550-800 CE) on Zanzibar, and Tumbe (c. 600-950 CE) on Pemba. The analysis demonstrates
Fitton, Tom
Pushing the boat out : a study of spatial organisation and harbour spaces in the early Swahili ports of the Zanzibar Archipelago, 550-1100 CE. The aim of this thesis is to identify maritime activity and patterns of spatial organisation through archaeological survey at first millennium coastal settlements in the Zanzibar Archipelago, in order to explore the nature of proto-Swahili harbours and evaluate the role of maritime activity as a component of proto-Swahili settlement in the region. Despite frequent scholarly reference to the maritime cultural identity of the Swahili there has been little consideration of the maritime archaeology of first millennium East African coastal settlements. Although intertidal zones associated with later sites have been surveyed, no investigation has ever been conducted into the nature of proto-Swahili harbours. The work presents an inductive investigation of proto-Swahili harbours between the sixth and eleventh centuries in the Zanzibar Archipelago, based on observations of industrial and maritime activity in open areas along the shorelines of Swahili ports. This thesis focuses on the geophysical survey, GIS analysis, and evaluation of the maritime areas of three contemporary sites; Unguja Ukuu (c. 600-1100 CE) and Fukuchani (c. 550-800 CE) on Zanzibar, and Tumbe (c. 600-950 CE) on Pemba. The analysis demonstrates
boat study spatial_organisation harbour space early swahili port zanzibar archipelago aim_identify maritime_activity pattern spatial_organisation archaeological_survey first_millennium coastal_settlement zanzibar archipelago order_explore nature proto swahili harbour evaluate role maritime_activity component proto swahili settlement region despite frequent scholarly reference maritime_cultural identity swahili little consideration maritime_archaeology first_millennium east african coastal_settlement although intertidal zone associate later site_survey investigation ever conduct nature proto swahili harbour work_present inductive investigation proto swahili harbour sixth eleventh_century zanzibar archipelago base observation industrial maritime_activity open_area along swahili port focus geophysical_survey gis_analysis evaluation maritime area contemporary site zanzibar analysis demonstrates