Kilwa Archipelago: The Hub of East African Coastal Heritage and Swahili Civilization

Abstract

The East African coastal strip, including the Kilwa Archipelago has received research attention from many scholars nationally and internationally. Kilwa Kisiwani (an island) which is one of the islands forming the Kilwa archipelago was a wealthy port that served as the hub of trade between the Indian Ocean and the interior of eastern Africa. Among the areas that have attracted extensive interest is the coastal archaeological research, notably by scholars like Neville Chittick in 1960’, Mark Horton in 1980’s, Felix Chami in the late 1990’s, to mention but a few. Much as one would appreciate the contribution of the above mentioned archaeologists and others who followed then after, the history of Kilwa Archipelago still has a lot of untold stories. As an archaeological Swahili city-state, and a commercial entrepôt of the coast of East Africa, Kilwa remains a point of reference regarding not only the Swahili Civilization but also the heritage potential represented by the massive architectural monuments and other archaeological remains in the area. It is unfortunate that little attention has been given to other potential cultural heritage resources that depict the Swahili civilization. This paper provides a reflection on the settlement history, the heritage potential and the landscape of the Swahili civilization in the Kilwa Archipelago. The paper concludes by recommending for government’s serious intervention to preserve and promote Kilwa Archipelago which is truly the hub of Swahili coastal civilization.