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Shanga is an archaeological site located in
Pate Island Pate (Paté) Island () is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. It is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga in the former Coast Province. ...
off the eastern coast of
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. The site covers about . Shanga was excavated during an eight-year period in which archaeologists examined Swahili origins. The archaeological evidence in the form of coins, pottery, glass and beads all suggest that a Swahili community inhabited the area during the eighth century. Evidence from the findings also indicates that the site was a Muslim trading community that had networks in
Asia Asia ( , ) is the largest continent in the world by both land area and population. It covers an area of more than 44 million square kilometres, about 30% of Earth's total land area and 8% of Earth's total surface area. The continent, which ...
.


Location

Shanga is located on
Pate Island Pate (Paté) Island () is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. It is the largest island in the Lamu Archipelago, which lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga in the former Coast Province. ...
—part of the
Lamu Archipelago The Lamu Archipelago is located in the Indian Ocean close to the northern coast of Kenya, to which it belongs. The islands lie between the towns of Lamu and Kiunga. It is a part of Lamu County. The largest of the islands are Pate Island, Man ...
in the
Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or approximately 20% of the water area of Earth#Surface, Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia (continent), ...
. It is near the northern coast of
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
. Coordinates: 41.04 E 2.08 S.


Topography

Pate Island was formed as a result of
fossil A fossil (from Classical Latin , ) is any preserved remains, impression, or trace of any once-living thing from a past geological age. Examples include bones, shells, exoskeletons, stone imprints of animals or microbes, objects preserve ...
ized
coral reef A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in group ...
s. Shanga itself is located on the southern part of the island that faces the Indian Ocean. The island is bordered by
mangrove A mangrove is a shrub or tree that grows mainly in coastal saline water, saline or brackish water. Mangroves grow in an equatorial climate, typically along coastlines and tidal rivers. They have particular adaptations to take in extra oxygen a ...
s on land and by coral reefs on the shore. Mangroves tend to grow along the shore because they require the salt. Overall, the island has poor
soil Soil, also commonly referred to as earth, is a mixture of organic matter, minerals, gases, water, and organisms that together support the life of plants and soil organisms. Some scientific definitions distinguish dirt from ''soil'' by re ...
and a relatively flat surface which is covered in white
sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...
. The sand often creates
dune A dune is a landform composed of wind- or water-driven sand. It typically takes the form of a mound, ridge, or hill. An area with dunes is called a dune system or a dune complex. A large dune complex is called a dune field, while broad, flat ...
s that can reach up to about in height.
Coconut The coconut tree (''Cocos nucifera'') is a member of the palm tree family (biology), family (Arecaceae) and the only living species of the genus ''Cocos''. The term "coconut" (or the archaic "cocoanut") can refer to the whole coconut palm, ...
plantations can be found in abundance in the sandy regions. Horton notes that the only soil suitable for growing crops like sorghum, is the red soil located towards the center of the island. Drinking water was accessed by digging
well A well is an excavation or structure created on the earth by digging, driving, or drilling to access liquid resources, usually water. The oldest and most common kind of well is a water well, to access groundwater in underground aquifers. The ...
s into the large sand dunes.


History

Based on archaeological evidence, it is known that Shanga was first inhabited by the Swahili in the eighth century. According to Captain Chauncey Hugh Stigand and his version of the Pate Chronicles, the history of Shanga began with the arrival of Sulaiman ibn Sulaiman ibn Muzaffar al-Nabhan in 600 AD. It is stated that Sulaiman married the daughter of the king of Pate, thus giving him authority to rule over part of the island. Shanga was an independent town at the time of this event, so it did not fall under Sulaiman's jurisdiction. It was Sulaiman's royal descendants, however, that were eventually responsible for conquering Shanga later on. The Swahili community in Shanga continued to thrive there for 600 years until their disappearance in the early fifteenth century. Oral traditions claim that the site was deserted circa 1400–1425. Shanga remained abandoned and unnoticed until the early twentieth century. Horton mentions that it was Captain Chauncey Stigand who noticed Shanga's ruins on Pate Island. Stigand, however never made an attempt to look more into them. The first archaeological study in Shanga would not take place until the 1950s with the arrival of Dr. James Kirkman. According to Horton, the Washanga (people of Shanga) still remain, although they now live in Siyu, a neighboring Swahili town. It is unclear as to why Shanga was abandoned in the early fifteenth century. Horton speculates that the community could have deserted the area for political reasons although it was more than likely due to a decline in water supply.


Research

Shanga was first excavated by archaeologist Dr. James Kirkman in the 1950s. Soon after, the British Institute in Eastern Africa cleared part of Shanga in 1965. The areas that were cleared out included the Western
Mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...
and the wells near the Friday Mosque. In the 1970s, the site was visited by Dr. Richard Wilding, who discovered three
coin A coin is a small object, usually round and flat, used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order to facilitate trade. They are most often issued by ...
s. Dr. T. Wilson from the
National Museums of Kenya The National Museums of Kenya (NMK; ) is a state corporation that manages museums, sites and monuments in Kenya. It carries out heritage research, and has expertise in subjects ranging from palaeontology, archeology, ethnography and biodivers ...
extracted
pottery Pottery is the process and the products of forming vessels and other objects with clay and other raw materials, which are fired at high temperatures to give them a hard and durable form. The place where such wares are made by a ''potter'' is al ...
samples and wrote a report on the fabrics found in Shanga in 1978. By 1980, most of the research conducted on the site was mainly devoted to mapping the area. The site was excavated by Mark Horton between 1985 and 1988.


Stratigraphy and dating

Between the years 1980 and 1988, a total of ten trenches were excavated at the site. Phases were also used in the excavation process. In order to create a chronological framework, as well as measure the depth of deposit in the site, several test pits were dug around the north–south and east–west axes. There were thirty-three test pits in total, each one about one-meter square. The test pits gave archeologists an understanding of Shanga's development and patterns of occupation. Results from the test pits indicate that there was a concentration of occupation towards the center of the site in between two dune ranges. It is believed that the center of occupation was determined by the availability of water resources. The community that occupied Shanga in the past settled in the areas that showed promising water supply.


Dating

Absolute
dating Dating is a stage of Romance (love), romantic relationships in which individuals engage in activity together, often with the intention of evaluating each other's suitability as a partner in a future intimate relationship. It falls into the cate ...
in Shanga was achieved through radiocarbon testing and imported pottery. Both methods of dating present dates ranging from the eighth to fifteenth century. A total of thirteen radiocarbon dates have been processed in the site. The radiocarbon dates demonstrate that Shanga was occupied sometime between the eighth and fifteenth centuries. Horton points out that Shanga pottery dating has been extensively examined by archaeologists
Neville Chittick Dr. Neville H. Chittick (September 18, 1924 – July 27, 1984) was a British scholar and Archaeology, archaeologist. He specialized in the historic cultures of Northeast Africa, and also devoted various works to the Swahili Coast. Biography Chit ...
, James Kirkman and Richard Wilding.


Findings

There were several discoveries made at Shanga. Among these discoveries are the excavation of the stone town, stone tombs, human remains, the excavation of the Eastern, Western and Friday Mosques, Muslim coinage, pottery, glass, and beads.


Stone town


Building materials

Horton explains that the stone town of Shanga was built using primarily two types of coral: '' Porites solida'' and coral rag. ''Porites solida'' is fairly malleable and can easily be shaped into blocks for wall structures. (26). The practice of shaping coral into blocks occurred approximately between 900 and 1100. Coral rag, a lot more dense is not as easily shaped as ''Porites solida''. Yet despite being a bit more difficult to manage, coral rag was more durable and cheaper to acquire. Coral rag was only used as boundary walls at first, but then eventually became a common building material from 1100 onwards. The coral blocks were set in place with mud or a lime mixture that would serve as mortar. The coral surfaces were often smoothed down with a
plaster Plaster is a building material used for the protective or decorative coating of walls and ceilings and for moulding and casting decorative elements. In English, "plaster" usually means a material used for the interiors of buildings, while "re ...
made from the same limethat was used for mortar.


Town layout

The stone town of Shanga consists of 185 houses that date from the 1300s to the 1400s. In addition to these buildings, there are also piles of stone rubble that suggest that about another 35 homes once existed alongside the 185 structures that still stand today. The stone houses are described by Horton as being "densely packed in the southern part of the settlement.” This left little room for open spaces. Between the homes, there are narrow spaces that reveal remnants of streets that run perpendicularly. Horton notes that there are no diagonal streets found on the site.


Architecture

The stone houses of the town all share a similar layout. Horton also mentions an interesting point that describes how the walls were first smoothed out before adding the next layer of masonry. Horton points out that this practice is an architectural technique found with mud-brick building in the Near East. The rooms of each house were of similar heights ranging from 2.5 m to 3.5 m. The floors inside the houses were made of a lime plaster over coral. The doorways came in two styles: flat-topped or pointed. All of the houses were built with wall niches instead of windows. There are also peg holes found in various rooms in each stone house. Horton speculates that the purpose of these peg holes might have been to "support or display cloth hung on the walls."


Tombs

The sheer number of tombs found at Shanga is far greater in comparison to any other site along the East African coast. According to Horton, there are roughly around five hundred stone tombs scattered throughout the site. He speculates that there might be about seventy more tombs hidden underneath the sands. The tombs are mainly found grouped together in one of the three following main areas including: the external cemetery, the Friday Mosque, and in the outskirts of the stone town. The greatest concentration of tombs can be found in the external cemetery. The stone tombs are made up of the same materials used to build the stone houses. The tombs contain both coral rag and lime. Several of these stone tombs include inscriptions written in Arabic. Each stone tomb is unique in its way and comes in a wide range of styles which are classified as 'types.' The types of stone tombs found at Shanga include: rubble, rectangular platform, headstone with platform, enclosure with headstone, platform with head insets, small enclosure, large enclosure, complex, and pillar.


The Friday Mosque

The Friday Mosque is the oldest of the three
mosque A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard. Originally, mosques were si ...
s found in Shanga. Horton claims that the Friday Mosque dates back to the eleventh century. The other two mosques: the Eastern Mosque and the Western Mosque were not built until the late thirteenth to fourteenth century. The fact that the mosques exist on the site "is the basis for the claim of a significantly early Islamic presence in Shanga." Horton states that the Friday Mosque underwent several reconstructions and expansions during its time before it was destroyed and abandoned in the fifteenth century. The Friday Mosque found today is in a state of ruin. Yet the current remains have contributed a great deal in understanding the overall layout of the mosque. The main room of the mosque (musala) has a rectangular layout with a plaster floor. Unlike the houses from the stone town, the mosques had windows at one point. The Friday mosque also has remnants of a minbar, whose dimensions are roughly around 3.3 x 1.1 m. Outside of the mosque there are courtyards on both East and West ends. The Western courtyard was different from the Eastern courtyard due to the fact that it contained a well. It is believed that the Western courtyard was used as a washing area. Horton also mentions that near the well there is a large triangular space that once served as two rooms. The purpose of these rooms is still unknown. Excavations at the Friday Mosque reveal a series of seventeen phases underneath. The mosque itself was built over several older structures made of timber and stone. According to radiocarbon testing the first mosque built on the site dates back to the eighth century. The first mosque would then undergo a series of reconstructions in the next 200 years which eventually led to the construction of the Friday Mosque. The earliest radiocarbon date extracted from the mosque belongs to a burnt tree stump, which dates back to 703-848 cal AD. The latest radiocarbon date ranges from 1002 to 1106 AD, and it was obtained from a carbon layer below the floor of the mosque.


Pottery

The pottery sherds found in Shanga can be divided into two types of pottery: manufactured pottery and imported pottery.


Manufactured pottery

The manufactured pottery or 'local pottery' of Shanga was made using an "ill-sorted alluvial clay and occasionally a coral or shell temper." The various local pottery sherds discovered in Shanga range in differing styles. The distinct styles of pottery promote the idea of a sequence of transition in which one can trace the shifting forms of pottery-making and decorating. Horton divides this pottery sequence into four phases: A. early Tana tradition, B. mature Tana tradition, C. late Tana tradition, and D. final Tana tradition. Phase A is characterized by the distinct incised lines and punctures that decorate the surface. Phase B is known for its thinner sherds as well as the use of wavy lines for decoration. Phase C pottery is redder in color yet has what Horton describes as "a limited decoration style that only extends a short distance." Phase D is reminiscent to Phase C; however, there are a lot more red sherds and the decoration is very basic at best.


Imported pottery

Evidence of imported pottery also appears in Shanga. Based on the styles from the pottery remnants, it is known that pottery was imported from the Arabian Peninsula, the Indian sub-continent, and the Far East. Other that the distinct shapes, the main difference between imported pottery and local pottery was the way in which they were decorated local pottery was not glazed, therefore the imported glazed pottery was highly valued. Yet not all imported pottery was glazed, some were instead decorated with fabrics.


Coins

According to Helen Brown, a total of 64 coins were discovered in the years 1983, 1986, 1987, and 1988. Horton mentions that three of the coins were found by Dr. Richard Wilding in 1977. The bit of writing that is legible on most of the coins displays Arabic script. The coins highlight the strong ties Shanga held with the Islamic world despite the fact that the coins themselves were never used in any other known Islamic community outside of Shanga. Horton mentions that most of the coins are made of silver rather than bronze. The coins found in Shanga have different dates that can range anywhere from 800 to 1100. The coins themselves support the idea of commerce in Shanga.


See also

* Historic Swahili Settlements * Swahili architecture


References

{{coord missing, Kenya Swahili people Swahili city-states Swahili architecture Lamu Archipelago Archaeological sites in Kenya Monuments and memorials in Kenya Archaeological sites of Eastern Africa