Mbuamaji
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kigamboni District,
Dar es Salaam Region,
Tanzania
 Tombs at Mbuamaji Ruins of Kigamaboni | |
  Mbuamaji Shown within Tanzania | |
| Location | Somangila ward, Kigamboni District, Dar es Salaam Region, Tanzania |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 6°51′55.44″S 39°25′0.48″E / 6.8654000°S 39.4168000°E |
| Type | Settlement |
| History | |
| Material | Coral rag |
| Founded | 12th century CE |
| Abandoned | 18th century CE |
| Cultures | Swahili |
| Site notes | |
| Condition | Endangered |
| Ownership | Tanzanian Government |
| Management | Antiquities Division under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism[1] |
| Architecture | |
| Architectural styles | Swahili & Islamic |
| Official name | Mbuamaji Ruins Historic Site |
| Type | Cultural |
| Currently neglected and vandalized | |
Mbuamaji or sometimes spelled Mbwamaji (Swahili: Magofu ya mji wa kale wa Mbuamaji) is a Medieval Swahili, National Historic Site located in Somangila ward of Kigamboni District in Dar es Salaam Region of Tanzania. Despite years of neglect that resulted in vandalism, the Tanzanian government is aiming to start restoration efforts as soon as possible.[2][3]
Due to a lack of archaeological research, literary sources have historically dominated the history of the Mbuamaji site. Despite the site's proximity to the Indian Ocean, little progress has been made in determining how this site contributed to the political and socioeconomic growth of the ancient East African Swahili coast. Because it is not referenced or described in ancient historical texts like Diodorus de Siculus, Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, and Ptolemy's Geographia, coastal archaeology specialists have ignored the archaeology of this location. The site was also believed to have been inhabited for the first time in the 15th century A.D. and to have flourished until the 19th century A.D.[4]
Lithics, ceramics, shells, beads, daubs, bones, and metal artifacts were discovered during archaeological surface surveys, shovel test pits, and excavations. The survey also listed a variety of Swahili architectural historical sites made of coral stone, rag, and lime. These include ruined homes, tombs, wells, and an old mosque that is still used on Fridays. The Mbuamaji site was inhabited from the Early Iron Working (EIW) of the B.C./A.D. transitional period to Triangular Incised Ware, Plain Ware, and Swahili eras, according to the recovered cultural items. The discovered evidence demonstrates that the Mbuamaji settlement made significant contributions to the trade and interactions that shaped the ancient East African coast.[5]
19th Century
Mbwamaji remained a settled area and trading center in the 19th century, despite experiencing a period of decline. Trade interactions between Mirambo of the Nyamwezi and Zanzibar, facilitated through Mbwamaji, have been documented. The relationships between Zanzibar and Unyamwezi were notably recorded by the French commercial agent M. Loarer in December 1848. He reported the arrival of a Nyamwezi ivory caravan, consisting of approximately 2,000 individuals, at the coastal center of Mbwamaji, located opposite Zanzibar. This caravan was noted to be carrying gifts intended for exchange with Said bin Sultan. [6]
