RICE UNIVERSITY ARCHAEOLOGICAL FIELD SCHOOL
SONGO MNARA, TANZANIA
JUNE 24 – AUGUST 5, 2013
The 2013 Rice University Archaeological Field School will be held at Songo Mnara, an important ancient Swahili coastal port located on a small island just off the southern Tanzanian coast. The importance of this site is underscored by its inclusion on the UNESCO World Heritage site list. The six-week, six credit, field school will investigate the extensive standing ruins at the site, focusing on the houses and open spaces.
Together with Kilwa Kisiwani, a well-researched site to the north, Songa Mnara was a central participant in Indian Ocean commerce during the 15th and 16th centuries AD, facilitating exchanges of goods from the African continent with traders from ports in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and western India. The site boasts some of the most well-preserved architectural ruins on the southern African coast, including more than 40 houses, six mosques, and numerous tombs. The 2013 Field School will build on research begun in 2009, and include geophysical surveying, geoarchaeology, large-scale excavations and laboratory analysis.
Lots of info can be found at the project website:
If students have any questions, they should feel free to contact me directly.
Best,
Jeff
Jeffrey Fleisher
Department of Anthropology MS 20
Rice University
Columbia University Archaeology Circle 