KALUNDE MWENYEWE

ARCHAEOLOGY IN TANZANIA

By. KALUNDE ALOYCE

Archaeology is the scientific study of past human culture and behavior, from the origins of humans to the present (Encarta Encyclopedia, 2008).

Archaeology can also be put as the study of human past through its material remains. Past studied by archaeologists range from yesterday to thousands or even million years ago. The material remains are referred to as collectively as the archaeological record to study the past archaeologists define research questions and apply a series of archaeological methods by which they discover records preserve, describe, and analyze the archaeological records to answer those questions (Ashmore & Sherer, 2003).

Background and origin of archaeology:

Archaeology emerged gradually from diverse origin like other disciplines it has routes from the way of amateur collection and skeleton often called antiquarians who in this case were the collection of remains from the past. The development of archaeology begins with the first attempt to clarify the remaining from the past and proceeds from purely speculative explanation of the past efforts to use the archaeological evidence to infer what happened in the past.

It became established as a formal discipline in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. At that time, most archaeological work was confined to Europe, to the so-called cradle of civilization in southwestern Asia, and to a few areas of the Americas. Today, archaeologists study the great cultural diversity of humanity in every corner of the world.

The origin of archaeology excavations in Tanzania.

The archaeological excavations have been numerous made by various historians and archeologists. Their work has resulted to the discovery of many archaeological sites in the country which hardly trace the origins of archaeology in the country. Examples of archeological sites in Tanzania are Engaruka, Ivuna, Kalambo falls, Kaole, Kondoa rock of art sites, Laetoli, Mumba cave, Olduvai Gorge, Oldvai Gorge Museum, Palace of human Kubwa, and Qanbalu Ruins.

Some of the archaeological excavations which have been made in the country include the following.

 In 1870, Richard Burton presented report in his book “Zanzibar II” describing the ruins of Kaole, Tongoni, Songo-Unara, and Kirwa Kisiwani. The 1908 missionaries report on the rock paintings in Bwanjai Bukoba (Kusimba & Kusimba, 2003).

German Tendaguru expedition, 1906.

The Tendaguru beds are fossil deposit which were first discovered in 1906, when German pharmacist, chemical analyst and mining engineer Bemhard willhelm settled on his way to a mine south of the Mbemkure near in German east Africa company (today Tanzania) noticed an enormous bone weathering out of the path near the base of hill because of its methodology, the hill was locally known as “steel hill” “Tendaguru” and the language of the local Wamwera People. The Tendaguru beds are fossils rich formation in Tanzania. It has been considered the richest of like Jurassic strata in Africa. Continental reconstructions show Tendaguru to have been in the southern hemisphere during the Jurassic. Tendaguru is similar to the Mans on formation except in its Marine inter beds. The dinosaur life is also similar to that of the Morrison; with the presence of drysorurus in both formations and other dinosourus in the morison and Giru Hatitan nd Kentrosaurus in the Tendaguru (Khal af –von Jaffa, et al, 2006).

More over, the German Tendaguru expedition excavated various archaeological sites by the scientific team from the museum of Fiir Natur Kunde Berlin who also excavated the Tendaguru hill and in the surrounding for four years (1909-1912). These archaeologists included Werner Jenenseh as expedition leader and Edwin Henning as assisted directed exceeding while Hans and Ina led the 1912 field season. Other participants from Europe include Hans Von staff. In merry season the scientists explored the geological of colonial German East Africa on long safaris. Today they are namely Janenschie, Robusta and Barosaunis Africanus (Fraas, 1908).

Olduvai Gorge today is ravine 2 kilometers deep and 50km long cutting into the grass land plateau of the Serengeti plains. Olduvai gorge first gained prominence as a paleonthrolopological site in 1911 when a German paleontologist from Munich named Kattwinkel   collected fauna remains. There after the site attracted many scientists including the well known Leakey’s (Louis and Mary) who in 1959 made the major paleonnthropological discovery of the first known australopithecines (zinjanthropus boisei). Louis and Mary Leakey used chemicals to retrieve so much evidence on early humans. For example, Potassium-argon age determination they were able to assign the bones an age of about 1.75 million years. Argon – Argon age determination revised the age of Zinjanthropus back to 1.98 million years. Fission track dating confirms olduvai (K-Ardates), has been to pumice samples from Bed about 2 million years ago. Today, Olduvai remains an important archaeological site; it was listed as a world cultural heritage site in 1974.

About 36km south of    Olduvai gorge and still with the Ngorongoro Conservation area lies Laetoli, a Pliocene site that was first reported by another German scientist. The name Laetoli is derived from a Maasai word that means ‘salty plains’, it has also been interpreted as place of red lies (Leakey, 1979; Leakey & Hay, 1979). Laetoli was identified as a paleonnthropological site in 1935 after it was brought to the attention of marry and Louis Leakey by a young warrior (Morani) (Kusimba & Kusimba, 2003).

Kilwa excavation in 1950s, Kilwa is the name of an archaeological site on the Kilwa Kisiwani islands the coast of Tanzania in the region known as the Swahili coast. Archaeologists became interested in Kilwa became of the 16^th century histories about the site including the how lost Kilwa chronicle although remains of this documents do still exist. Excavations included James Kirk man and Nevile Chittick from the British institute in Eastern Africa. Scholar believes the Kilwa society developed into later Swahili societies.

Kaole ruins in 1958 by Mr. Neville Chittick a man from England with Mr. Samaharie. M. Kejeri Now is a Professor. Kaole was early known as Pumbuji, was the first settlement of the Arabs from Persia in 13^th century (1270). This is the major attraction that Bagamoyo has to offer. The ruins are located about 5 kilometers from the center ruins have two mosque and several tombs; one mosque is the remnants of the oldest mosque in east Africa, dating between third and fourth centuries.

The ruins are believed to be established around 13^th century, indicating early contact Bagamoyo had with Islamic world. The tombs were built from the coral stones.

Engaruka excavation, the archaeological site of Engaruka dates to the late Iron Age (15^th to 16^th AD) and is located in the rift valley of Tanzania. This site was excavated by Hans Reck in the early 20^th century and includes seven large villages with complex stone block irrigation canal and intricate agricultural system. More recent excavations have been conducted by Ari Siiriaienen of the University of Helsinki and the Academy of Finland s part of the cultural ecology of the east African savannah project (Kris, n.d).

The post colonial excavation led to major discoveries of cultural material remains including stone tools of early Stone Age, middle Stone Age, and late Stone Age pastoral – Neolithic affinities and ruins. Rock paintings, early settlement of modern societies, early iron technology, early civilization and contacts. Therefore, the colonial contact with indigenous of Africa led to the African archaeological research. For instance, Minziro is unique within Tanzania for the predominantly West African affinities of its fauna due to evident in the birdlife, which had received little attention prior to a pioneering ornithological trip undertaken by Neil and Liz Baker in 1984.

Conclusion, the origin of archaeological excavations in Tanzania can be derived from global perspective with its origin from Western Europe, Asia, and Tanzania where the origin of human Kind can be traced at its famous archaeological site of Olduvai Gorge.

REFERNCE

Fagan, B. M. (2008). Microsoft Encarta. DVD. © 1993-2007 Microsoft Corporation.

Fraas, E. (1908). Ostafricansche dinosaurier palaeontologrphica retrived from http://www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/tendgueru.html

Hist, K.K. (n.d). Archaeologicl site of Engaruka. Retrived from

http://archaeology.about.com/bio/K-Kris-Hirst-3021.htm

Khala-Van, J., Warman, A., & Bassam, A. T. (2006). Retrived from http://illen.wikipedia.org/ on 16/03/2011.

Kusimba .C. M  & Kusimba, S. B. (2003). East Africa Archaeology; Foragers, potters, smiths and traders,. USA: University of Pennslyvania Museum of archaeology.

Sharer, R. J., & Asmore,  W.  (2003). Archaeology; discovery our past (3^rd ed). New York: McGraw-Hill.

HAIKUWA RAHISI

Katika kufanikisha sherehe ya Sr,Fausta na rafiki yake Sr,Lulu, ilikuwa ni mshikemshike ila mwenyezi Mungu alisimamia hadi tukafnikiwa.

Kila siku ya tukio kulikuwepo tukio jipya hasa, siku ya ijumaa tarehe 11/02/2011 wakati watu wanajiandaa kwenda KAWEKAMO kwenye sherehe ya Sr,Fausta, dada yetu wanayepandana marambili na Sr.Fausta aitwe Dada Speciother Alijifungua mtoto wa kiume, tukamwita jina la FAUSTINE. Haikuishia hapo, siku ya tarehe 26/02/2011 Kijijini Maligisu (Nyumbani kwao Sr.Fausta) ile wanamaliza kumchinja N'gombe wa sherehe, KAZALIWA Ng'ombe Jike, kafanan viilevile jinsia hadi rangi. MUNGU AITWE MUNGU.