Horton, Mark, Olsen, Jesper, Fleisher, Jeffrey et al. (1 more author) (2022) The Chronology of Kilwa Kisiwani, AD 800–1500. African Archaeological Review. pp. 143-166. ISSN 1572-9842
Abstract
In this article, we present the results of a recent program of high-resolution radiocarbon dating on the urban sequence at Kilwa Kisiwani in southern Tanzania, including Bayesian modeling of 21 calibrated 14C dates. These data come from the 2016 excavation of a large trench directly adjacent to trench ZLL, one of the key 1960s excavations that served to establish the original chronology of the town. The new sequence reported here anchors the phases of Kilwa’s development for the first time in absolute terms. The dates, stratigraphy, and artifact assemblage offer a number of new insights into the timing and tempo of the occupation at Kilwa, notably placing the first coral buildings and coins at the end of the tenth century. Insights also include findings related to the earliest phases of settlement and periods of possible urban decline. We argue against a trend for understanding Swahili towns according to a common coastal trajectory and suggest that it is important to consider regional diversity by recognizing the particular, episodic sequence at Kilwa.
Metadata
Item Type: | Article |
---|---|
Authors/Creators: |
|
Copyright, Publisher and Additional Information: | Funding Information: Fieldwork was conducted in collaboration with the Antiquities Division of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism, Tanzania, under COSTECH permit number 2013-219-NA-2009-46. We are grateful in particular to Revocatus Bugumba for his support and encouragement. Publisher Copyright: © 2022, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. |
Keywords: | East Africa,Kilwa Kisiwani,Radiocarbon dating,Swahili archaeology |
Dates: |
|
Institution: | The University of York |
Academic Units: | The University of York > Faculty of Arts and Humanities (York) > Archaeology (York) |
Funding Information: | Funder Grant number AHRC AH/J502716/1 |
Depositing User: | Pure (York) |
Date Deposited: | 13 Dec 2022 11:50 |
Last Modified: | 10 Mar 2025 00:08 |
Published Version: | https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-022-09476-8 |
Status: | Published |
Refereed: | Yes |
Identification Number: | 10.1007/s10437-022-09476-8 |
Related URLs: | |
Open Archives Initiative ID (OAI ID): | oai:eprints.whiterose.ac.uk:194369 |
Download
Filename: Kilwa_and_Archaeology_final.docx
Description: Kilwa and Archaeology final