[SALSA] Mozambique Island, Cabaceira Pequena, and the Wider Swahili World: An Archaeological Perspective
When the Portuguese reached Mozambique Island at the end of the 15th century, they encountered a populated coast of diverse communities integrated within a wider Swahili world. Swahili society was at its fundamental nature cosmopolitan and incorporated arts, cultures, peoples, and beliefs from Africa, India, the Middle East, and the Far East. Although Swahili archaeology is well established in Tanzania and Kenya, there is still little understood about Northern Mozambique and its role in the Swahili world. This lecture will present preliminary results from recent excavations on the northern coast of Mozambique, as well as interpretations from known archaeological sites, to better assess the nature of Swahili society on the northern Mozambican coast at the time of Portuguese first contact. Diogo Oliveira will also raise questions about the nature of Swahili culture in Northern Mozambique and its construction of a maritime cultural landscape centered around cross-oceanic connections in the vast Indian Ocean Trade Network. Finally, he will address his own experience in the field as a Fulbright Student Scholar in Mozambique and the ethical and methodological considerations utilized during this project's duration. Engaging with historically marginalized communities is fundamental to decolonizing the discipline, and this lecture will explore the vital relationships archaeologists must establish with local scholars, as well as community members and leaders in order to ethically conduct archaeological research.