The Legacy Embedded within the Assets of the Indian Ocean Trade Interconnections between the Traders of Tanzania’s Coast vs Hinterland Hunter Foragers Communities: A Case from Singida Region, Central Tanzania

By : Makarius Peter Itambu

Page No: 357-365

Abstract
Archaeological evidences indicate that since the prehistoric times, Tanzania and the Indian Ocean world shared a very long antiquity in terms of early human civilisation, outstandingly during the ancient maritime trade systems and other aspects such as ancient technology transfer as well as communication systems as it currently evidentiary through the monumental built heritage assets along the coast of the Indian Ocean. The interregional trade networks that existed and flourished from 1000 to 1500 A.D. left significant legacies in the lifestyle of coastal communities of Tanzania as it is demonstrated by archaeological sites and ancient city states located along the Tanzania’s coastal towns. Historically, these coastal communities of Asia and Tanzania have had a long antiquity together in many avenues ranging from the ancient maritime trade, ancient intermarriages and cross-cultural influences between the two. Recently discovered beads from archaeological excavations under the rock shelter testifies about a very long antiquity of trade interconnectedness between the Indian Ocean world vs coastal and hinterland hunter–foragers communities.

Author : Dr. Makarius Peter Itambu, is Lecturer, Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Dar es Salaam.
 

DOI: https://doi.org/10.32381/JIOS.2024.32.03.7