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Archaeological Reconnaissance in Cabo Delgado Province, Northern Mozambique

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Archaeological Reconnaissance in Cabo Delgado Province, Northern Mozambique Northwards from Sofala: Archaeological Reconnaissance in Cabo Delgado Province, Northern Mozambique Nathan Anderson 1 1 Institute of Arab and Islamic Studies, University of Exeter, Exeter United Kingdom. Email: [email protected] ABSTRACT Abstract: Visits made to archaeological sites in Cabo Delgado province, Mozambique, in early 2018 revealed a landscape rich in relatively under-researched cultural heritage, some of which is threatened by growing Islamic insurgency. Archaeological reconnaissance was conducted by the author to determine which sites were best suited to serve as case studies for his PhD research into the Islamisation of northern Mozambique. This pre-survey prioritized previously recorded Swahili sites in the southern Quirimbas Archipelago, namely on the islands of Ibo, Matemo, and Quirimba, as well as a cluster of sites on Cape Delgado, M’buizi and Tungi. However, possible new sites were documented during the visits to Cape Delgado and are detailed below. All locales visited contained artefacts dating primarily to the mid-second millennium AD, but absolute chronologies have not been determined as most of the sites visited have not been adequately examined. A dearth of cultural heritage protection schemes in the far northern region of Mozambique leaves conspicuous archaeological remains vulnerable to opportunistic looting and intentional damaging. Instances of both types of destruction were observed by the author in 2018. KEYWORDS: Archaeology, East Africa, Islam, Mozambique, Swahili HOW TO CITE THIS ARTICLE: Anderson, N. 2020. Northwards from Sofala: Archaeological Reconnaissance in Cabo Delgado Province, Northern Mozambique. Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies, 2 (1), pp.53-79. DOI: http://doi.org/10.22599/jachs.41 Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies Anderson Vol 2(Issue 1) Introduction The following is a summary of observations made by the author while touring archaeological sites in northern Mozambique, mid-March through late April 2018. This paper is presented for publication to call to attention endangered cultural heritage and contribute to the understanding of one of the most understudied regions in eastern Africa. Express permission from the Departmento de Arqueologia e Antropologia at Universidade Eduardo Mondlane was given to visit archaeological sites within the southern Quirimbas Archipelago (see Figure 1) and northern Cabo Delgado province (see Figure 2). These visits were conducted as informal, non-intrusive surveys of sites often informally guided by interested local parties. No excavation occurred and no artefacts were collected from sites. The requisite archaeological permit for the sites examined was not awarded for these field visits and this field report was not written to claim ownership to any of the cultural heritage discussed. Figure 1: (Left) Map of Mozambique with (Right) Map of the Southern Quirimbas Archipelago. The objective of this archaeological tour was to scout locations which would be suitable for research into the Islamisation of the East African coast from a material perspective. The relatively understudied 54 Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies Anderson Vol 2(Issue 1) northern Mozambique coast and near-shore islands made for a desirable case study. Historically, archaeological inquiry into northern Mozambique has been limited, a result of political instability and numerous logistical complications (Madiquida 2007: 33; Newitt 1995: 573). Access to the region has vastly improved in the decades following the end of the Mozambican Civil War in 1994 thanks in part to infrastructure improvements tied to the development of a multi-billion dollar natural gas pipeline (Adamowicz 2012; Madiquida 2007). For the sake of clarity, ‘Cabo Delgado’ refers to the north Mozambican province in which ‘Cape Delgado’, a peninsula, is located (See Figure 2). All dates are AD unless otherwise stated. All photographs and figures in this report are the authors. Historical Overview Cape Delgado and Tungi Bay to the south of the peninsula were once the core territorial holdings of the Tungi Sultanate, which rose to prominence as a player in the international slave trade until it declined into nonexistence in 1877 (see Figure 2) (Adamowicz 2012: 12, 14). The history of the Tungi Sultanate is not well documented, with the foundation date mostly speculative at this juncture (Adamowicz 2012: 12). The sultanate is featured prominently in an early 19th century Comorian Chronicle, in which Tungi was one of the initial settlements founded by the ‘Shirazi Brothers’ of popular Swahili mythology (Adamowicz 2012: 13; Gueunier 1989: 10-12; Rotter 1976; Rzewuski 1991: 193). Within the Comorian narrative on the Swahili origins, the founding ruler of Kilwa, Sultan Ali, was perpetually at war with Tungi, recommending that the settlements could have been establish contemporaneously (Adamowicz 2012: 12; Rzewuski 1991). However, this version of the chronicles diverges considerably from most other regional accounts. Likewise, material evidence, though limited, suggests a more recent founding of the Tungi Sultanate. The oldest known written reference to Tungi is by Ahmad bin Majid, whose 15th century travel logs commented on the natural anchorages in the bay as being frequently used by mercantile vessels traveling to and from the Island of Vamizi (Adamowicz 2012: 14). Based on the lack of a settlement description within Ahmad bin Majid’s text, it seems likely that settlements on Cape Delgado, and along the Tungi Bay, developed post 15th century as a response to the trade traffic frequenting the waters. European colonial sources do not mention the Tungi Sultanate until 1744, at which time they describe a territorial dispute between the Portuguese colonial government and the Sultanate of Zanzibar over who had ownership of Tungi, a town which strove to maintain a policy of “balanced double loyalty” at the time (Adamowicz 2012: 13; Rzewuski 1991: 194). This conflict would not be resolved until the late 19th century when the German Empire north of the Rovuma conceded the Palma region and Cabo Delgado to the Portuguese colonies (Rzewuski 1991: 194). 55 Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies Anderson Vol 2(Issue 1) Anthro-linguists argue for an early Swahili presence in both Palma and the modern village of Quiwia, also known as Kiwiya, based on the dialect of Kiswahili present in the region (Adamowicz 2012: 14). This is notable, for Cabo Delgado province is the only part of Mozambique that primarily speaks Kiswahili (Adamowicz 2012: 14). The archaeological record of Cape Delgado supports the linguistic data, as Swahili style coral-and-lime architecture is found within the sites of Tungi and M’buizi, also known as M’buesi, on the western edge of the peninsula. Coral-rag is a building material not exclusive tied to, but closely associated with, Swahili-ness and has been frequently used to differentiate between Swahili and non-Swahili sites (Wynne-Jones and Fleisher 2015). Figure 2: Map of Cape Delgado with Archaeological Sites (inset). 56 Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies Anderson Vol 2(Issue 1) Both locales are believed to be contemporaneous, and likely part of the same late iron age economic complex, represented by at least five distinct sites, Tungi 1 and 2, M’buizi 1 and 2, and Mesquita (Adamowicz 2012: 36). Architectural remains at both Tungi and M’buizi, which are near collapse in most cases, as well as artefacts associated with each cluster of ruins, are nearly homogenous in type and typology. For this reason, it is best to consider the roughly two-kilometre diameter complex of archaeological ruins as a single entity denoting the administrative core of Tungi Sultanate. Previous Research Ruins in the Tungi Bay were first reported by Francois Balsan during a survey near the mouth of the Rovuma River in 1966, though the structures were not measured or thoroughly recorded at this time (Duarte 1993: 77). During the 1966 field season, shortly after Balsan’s report, an archaeological investigation led by Amaro Monteiro began (Duarte 1993: 77). Monteiro surveyed portions of the peninsula and conducted limited excavation west of the village of Quiwia, at the sites of Tungi, in the south, and M’buizi, in the north (Duarte 1993: 77). Turquoise Glazed Islamic wares, likely from the late 14th century AD, were recovered during these excavations (Adamowicz 2012: 32). However, Monteiro did not record accurate artefact provenance, resulting in scant usable data from this effort (Adamowicz 2012: 29). Gerard Liesegang would re-evaluate the site, primarily through survey, in 1988, but never published his findings. This data was eventually obtained by Ricardo Duarte for the publication of his 1993 book on northern Mozambique cultural heritage (Duarte 1993: 77). Liesegang recorded two separate groups of stone town ruins, constructed with coral-and-lime in a Swahili style, as well as a palace, which had multiple reconstructions, two clusters of Swahili style tombs, and at least two mosques (Duarte 1993: 77). Imported finds reported at this time included primarily 18th-19th centuries Chinese and French wares, specifically Opaque de Serrigemmes, that dated to the close of the 19th century (Adamowicz 2012: 29; Duarte 1993: 77). Liesegang noted that the local ceramics were distinct from the local Lumbo (13th-15th centuries) and Sancul (17th-19th centuries) series, likening them to Chittick’s upper Kilwa sequence instead (Sinclair 1985; Duarte 1993: 78; Madiquida 2007: 15). While these early endeavors
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