A deposit of Kilwa-type coins from Songo Mnara, Tanzania

Abstract

A deposit of coins was recovered during excavations at Songo Mnara, Tanzania, containing over 300 copper Kilwa-type coins. This is the first deposit or hoard of these coins found in a welldefined archaeological context, and it therefore offers a unique glimpse into both the typology of these coins and their contemporary uses. In this paper, the ramifications of the Songo Mnara deposit are discussed. In particular, the deposit is firmly attributable to the end of the 14 th or very early 15 th century, allowing for some chronological resolution. Coins of the late 11 th to early 12 th -century sultan Ali ibn al-Hasan show that these types remained in circulation for many centuries. In addition, the common coin type of Nasir ad-Dunya can now be attributed firmly to the 15 th and possibly 14 th centuries by this find. Finally, this paper discusses the burial of the coins in the foundations of a stonehouse, and the fact that this likely represented the building of value into the house and an investment in place. Other finds, such as a carnelian necklace found with the coins, testify to the importance of this practice.

Characterization of Glass, Shell, and Fishbone Beads on Ibo Island (Northern Mozambique) in the Context of the Indian Ocean Trade

“…By this time, according to Horton (2004), some Indian traders and artisans were living in ports of the Indian Ocean, including some of East Africa. To Indian craftsmen could be attributed the carnelian bead found in the test pit C-300 mentioned above, which is similar to others found in Swahili centres such as Songo Mnara (Perkins et al 2014) or Kilwa (Pollard and Kinyera 2017), both in Tanzania. Horton (2004) considers carnelian beads either imported from India or locally made by Indian craftsmen due to the complex diamond tip drilling technique engaged in their fabrication.…”

Making metals in East Africa and beyond: archaeometallurgy inAzania, 1966–2015

“…Azania has seen the inclusion of increasingly scientific approaches to the study of past technologies as time has gone on, especially in the past ten years (e.g. Nixon 2009;MacDonald et al 2009;Giblin et al 2010;Iles 2013;Perkins 2014;Orton 2014), though it is notable that Europeanbased scholars and laboratories have dominated these studies. Some US-based and US-trained scholars who have made major contributions to the study of African metallurgy have never published in Azania.…”