Sociocultural and Economic Aspects of the Ancient Roman Reported Metropolis of Rhapta on the Coast of Tanzania: Some Archaeological and Historical Perspectives

Abstract

Two thousand years ago, the Romans had knowledge of the western Indian Ocean seaboard. The East African seaboard was then known as Azania. The capital of Azania was recognized by the Romans as Rhapta. The unknown author of the Periplus of the Erythrean Sea seems to have visited the region himself and reported about the territory and its main settlements. However, Claudia Ptolemy, the geographer, got his information about the territory from skippers some who had been to Rhapta several times. After his third century report no more is heard about Rhapta. The search for the Azania settlements and particularly of Rhapta began from about 1950s in the colonial times. It is the research endeavor of the third author of this paper from the mid 1990s in the region of the Rufiji delta and the Mafia Island in south east Tanzanian coast that provided some clue to the location of Rhapta. With more recent research in Mafia archipelago, it is now apprehended that Rhapta got submerged on the northern side of the archipelago offshore of the Rufiji delta. With collected data from recent underwater and terrestrial archaeological surveys and available Roman historical reports, we can discuss socio cultural and economic aspects of Rhapta.

Keywords

• Rhapta
• Rufiji
• Mafia
• Roman
• Transoceanic
• Mwamba Ukuta

Supporting Institution

University of Dar es Salaam. Tanzania

Project Number

PhD (Archaeology)

Thanks

Thank you

References

1. Casson, L. 1989. Periplus Maris Erythraei. Princeton: University Press
2. Chami, F. 1999a. ‘Roman Beads from the Rufiji Delta Tanzania: First incontrovertible Archaeological Link with the Periplus’. Current Anthropology 40 (2): 237–241
3. McLaughlin, M. 2018. The Roman Empire and the Indian Ocean. Yorkshire: Pen & Sword.
4. Beaujard, P. (2018). “The Progressive integration of Eastern Africa into an Afro- Eurasian WorldSystem 1st–15th century C.E.” In S. Wynne-Jones and A. LaViolette (eds) The Swahili World, pp. 365–377. London: Routledge.
5. Bita, C. ( 2019). “Underwater archaeological survey of Makutani Reef, Mafia Island, Tanzania.” Unpublished Report. University of Dar es Salaam
6. Bita, C. Chami, F. Bushozi, P. (2021). “Preliminary findings of underwater pottery of transoceanic connections and the location of the ancient port of Rhapta”. Journal of Indian Ocean archaeology (forthcoming).
7. Casson, L. (1989). Periplus Maris Erythraei. Princeton: University Press.
8. Chami, F. (1998). “A Review of Swahili Archaeology”. African Archaeological Review 15 (3): 199–218.

9. Chami, F. (1994). The Tanzanian Coast in the First Millennium AD. Studies in the African Archaeology 7. Uppsala: Societas Archaeological Uppsaliensis.
10. Gupta, S. (2021). Early glass trade along the maritime silk route (500 BCE-500 CE: an archaeological review. Springer Nature proceedings from the IIT Gandhinanagar workshop: 451-488.
11. Hill, E. (transl). (2004). The Peoples of the West from the Weilue by Yu Huan in 429 C.E.
12. Hayford, G. (2012). The lost kingdoms of Africa: Discovering African hidden treasures. London, BBC, Bantam press.
13. Hayes, J. (1997). Hand book of Mediterranean Roman pottery. London, University of Oklahoma Press.
14. Horton, M. (1996). “Early Maritime trade and settlement along the coasts of eastern Africa”. in J. Reade (ed), Ocean in Antiquity, 439-560, London. Keagan Paul.
15. Huntingford, G. W. (1980). The Periplus of the Erythraean Sea, London, Hakluyt Society.
16. Juma, A. (2004). Unguja Ukuu: An archaeo lo gical stud y of early urbanism.” (PhD Thesis) Uppsala University, Sweden.
17. Mandela, P. R, and Chami, F. (2021). A Find of Transoceanic Pottery at Bwejuu Island of the Rufiji Delta and Mafia Island, Tanzania: More Clue to the Elusive Ancient Azania metropolis of Rhapta. International Journal of Archaeology. Vol. 9, Issue 1: 24-33
18. Ryano, M.P, Shikoni, A.D. Chami, F. and Sutton, A. 2020. “The Cultural History of Kisimani Mafia Stone Town Site, Mafia Archipelago, Tanzania: findings from re-excavation of the site,” Archaeologies.
19. Shikoni, A. D. Mandela P. Luomba T. O., Kessy T. E., Chami F.A. (2019). Preliminary Report of the Reexcavation of Ukunju Limestone Cave in Juani, Mafia Archipelago, Tanzania: More Evidence of Ancient Transoceanic Trade Connections. In Man and Environment. Indian Society for Prehistoric and Quaternary Studies XLIV (2): 29-40.
20. Soper, R. (1971). “A General Review of Early Iron Age of the Southern Half of Africa”, Azania 5: 39–52.
21. Stahl, K. (1965). “Outline of Chaga History”. Tanganyika Notes and Records 64: 35–49. Oxford: Clarendon Press.
22. Waltz, J. and Kwekason A. (2022). Ceramics, copal and coconut: Results of archaeological investigations at Mlongo Mafia Island, Tanzania AD 250-1000. South African archaeological bulletin (forthcoming).
23. Valerian V. and Chami F. (2012). In search for the lost metropolis of Azania-Rhapta: Continued research in Misimbo, Rufiji. Studies in the African past 10:107- 127.