Definition: An archaeological site on an island off the Swahili coast of Tanzania, Kilwa Kisiwani was a huge trade center between about AD 1100-1853, primarily a benefit of its location wedged between the Arabian peninsula, the Far East and the Indian subcontinent.
Kilwa was one of several principal ports of trade on the Indian Ocean, trading gold, ivory, iron, ambergris, coconuts, and slaves from southern Africa, including the Mwene Mutabe south of the Zambezi River, for cloth and jewelry from India, and porcelain from China. The first structure on the site was the Great Mosque, begun in the 11th century; eventually the settlement grew to over 1 kilometer square in size, with several large and beautiful buildings built of native coral.
Kilwa was one of several principal ports of trade on the Indian Ocean, trading gold, ivory, iron, ambergris, coconuts, and slaves from southern Africa, including the Mwene Mutabe south of the Zambezi River, for cloth and jewelry from India, and porcelain from China. The first structure on the site was the Great Mosque, begun in the 11th century; eventually the settlement grew to over 1 kilometer square in size, with several large and beautiful buildings built of native coral.
Kilwa and the Swahili Coast
The single most important debate about the Swahili coast to date has concerned the origins of the culture. As described in ancient chronicles such as the Kilwa, the towns were settled by Arabian traders. Archaeological evidence suggests that Kilwa's elite were created beginning between about AD 800 and 1300, and the town's history is a complex nature of native and external forces.Sources
Kusimba, Chapurukha M. 1999. The Rise and Fall of Swahili States. Altamira Press, Walnut Creek, California. 197 pp; a bibliography and an index.
Phillipson, David . 2005. African Archaeology: Third Edition. Cambridge University Press, London.
Wynne-Jones, Stephanie 2007 Creating urban communities at Kilwa Kisiwani, Tanzania, AD 800-1300. Antiquity 81:368-380.
See also: Kilwa Kisiwani: Medieval Trade Center of East Africa for more detailed information.
Also Known As: Kilwa
