The Development and Collapse of Precolonial Ethnic Mosaics in Tsavo (original) (raw)
Related papers
The development and collapse of precolonial ethnic mosaics in Tsavo, Kenya
Journal of African Archaeology, 2005
Les archéologues et les historiens ont longtemps cru qu'à l'Age du Fer, il y avait peu de relations entre les villes côtières du Kenya et les zones rurales situées à l'intérieur des terres. Les recherches archéologiques et anthropologiques en cours dans la région de Tsavo, au sud-est du Kenya, montrent une occupation humaine continue depuis l'Holocène. Les habitants de Tsavo avaient une économie basée sur l'élevage, la culture et la production de poteries et de fer. Ils appartenaient à un réseau général d'échanges commerciaux par l'intermédiaire des marchands côtiers et furent même, à un moment, les principaux fournisseurs de l'ivoire destiné à l'Asie du Sud et du Sud-est. Les fouilles archéologiques ont apporté la preuve de ces activités et ont montré l'existence d'habitations agropastorales, d'abris sous roche fortifiés et de sites funéraires. Nous interprétons en particulier les abris sous roche fortifiés comme une réponse au commerce des esclaves.
Preliminary report on archaeological research in the Loita-Mara region, S.W. Kenya
Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa, 1982
Taylor & Francis makes every effort to ensure the accuracy of all the information (the "Content") contained in the publications on our platform. However, Taylor & Francis, our agents, and our licensors make no representations or warranties whatsoever as to the accuracy, completeness, or suitability for any purpose of the Content. Any opinions and views expressed in this publication are the opinions and views of the authors, and are not the views of or endorsed by Taylor & Francis. The accuracy of the Content should not be relied upon and should be independently verified with primary sources of information. Taylor and Francis shall not be liable for any losses, actions, claims, proceedings, demands, costs, expenses, damages, and other liabilities whatsoever or howsoever caused arising directly or indirectly in connection with, in relation to or arising out of the use of the Content.
An Outline of the Later Holocene Archaeology and Precolonial History of the Ewaso Basin, Kenya
Drawing on a range of archaeological, paleoenvironmental, linguistic, ethnographic, and historical data, this chapter outlines what is currently known about the trajectories of pastoralism in the Ewaso Basin from its initial appearance some 4000 years ago until the early twentieth century, by which time new systems of land use and tenure had been established within the context of British colonial rule. Overall, the evidence indicates that many different groups have occupied parts of this area at different times in the past, and that these have encompassed both hunter-gatherer and pastoralist communities and speakers of various Nilotic, Cushitic, and Bantu languages, among others. There is also good evidence to suggest that the boundaries between different “ethnic,” “subsistence,” and even linguistic groups have been fairly fluid and that cultural intermixing as well as interaction through exchange and other social mechanisms was common. Additionally, at least four broad phases of pastoralist practices can be identified for the period prior to the twentieth century. These phases entailed different forms and levels of mobility, including population migration and seasonal movements, and had diverse environmental consequences, some of which appear to have enhanced biodiversity and ecological resilience whereas others initiated significant changes to the structure of the vegetation mosaic and may have even resulted in localized rangeland degradation.
American Anthropologist, 2006
Applying this methodology to the East End results in a robust analysis of change in this fascinating, small, autonomous, and free community. The transformational model Armstrong employs is flexible, allowing him to examine both short-term and long-term social and spatial trends within the community. Historical archaeologists will find his functional analysis of interest, while scholars of the Caribbean in general will find the case study of the East End community very appealing, as it underscores the diversity of Caribbean experience beyond the plantation. Creole Transformation from Slavery to Freedom is a well-written and timely book that addresses current methodological, topical, and theoretical advances in both historical archaeology and historical anthropology more generally. All anthropologists with an interest in the past will find this book a valuable addition to their library. Voices of Modernity: Language Ideologies and the Politics of Inequality.
Davies, M.I.J. 2006. The archaeology of the Cherangani Hills, Northwest Kenya. Nyame Akuma 66:16-24.
The archaeology of the Cherangani Hills, Northwest Kenya, is poorly known despite its strategically important location given current models of Kalenjin history and the spread of food production into East Africa. This paper reports on previous archaeological research in the region and outlines the results of the authors first season of field work. New insights into the precolonial irrigation systems of the Pokot are discussed and the discovery of a number of rock shelters with significant archaeological potential is reported.
Disentangling Ethnicity in East Africa, ca.1-2010 CE: Past Communities in Present Practices
2017
The workshop provided opportunities to discuss my research with other early career scholars from several disciplines and institutions which enriched my scholarship and provided professional contacts for future collaborations. My research permit in Kenya was sponsored by the Research Institute of Swahili Studies in East Africa, a branch of the National Museums of Kenya. They provided me with office space, access to Fort Jesus Museum Library and other museum facilities, invitations to museum events, and introductions to my research assistants and many of my consultants. I would particularly like to thank Director Omar Kassim, Mohamed Karama, and Munira Mohammed for their administrative support, as well as my research iv assistants: Mohamed Hassan in Lamu, Amira Mselem in Mombasa, and William Tsaka in Rabai. Daniel Mrenje provided numerous consultations regarding the Chi-Rabai dialect of Mijikenda and Ustedh Zein provided 'oud lessons, a welcome weekly diversion from my daily research routines. My consultants are too numerous to list here and the arguments I make in the dissertation cannot possibly integrate their many contributions to my understanding of eastern Kenya; I list each of their names in the bibliography. I would especially like to express my gratitude for the hospitality of Price Tsaka, Ahmed Sheikh Nabhany, and the families who let me join in some of their most cherished celebrations. Other Kenyan institutions that assisted me in my research include the Kenya National Archives (in Nairobi and Mombasa), the Wakf Commission in Mombasa, the Kenya Land Office, and the University of Nairobi. I would like to recognize the staffs at each of these institutions for the professionalism with which they maintain Kenya's historical records. Several men and women deserve special mention for the access they provided me: Kassim Mazrui, the former Chief Kadhi of Mombasa, granted permission to access Wakf Commission records, Chief Stephen Mutta of Rabai arranged for me to photograph records stuffed in an old chimney of the guard house at Rabai, Deputy Vice Chancellor Henry Mutoro personally escorted me around the University of Nairobi, and Professors Milcah Amolo Achola and Mary Mwiandi provided access to the University of Nairobi History Department's research project archive. I would also like to thank my fellow researcher in the field, Reynolds Richter of New York University, for his friendship, advice, and hospitality in sharing his home during our final month in Kenya. v I also wish to acknowledge the support of colleagues at home. Thomas Hinnebusch, David Nurse, and Ellen Contini-Morava graciously provided me with linguistic data in digital formats; Thomas Spear offered a thorough critique of my Masters Thesis, which this dissertation expands; Cynthia Hoehler-Fatton provided recommendations at nearly every one of my research presentations; Lydia Wilson offered helpful perspectives on historical archaeology; and Jared Staller provided moral support and motivation to keep up with him through our graduate program. My committee members John Mason, Roquinaldo Ferreira, and Adria LaViolette provided inspiration in teaching as well as guidance in my research. To my advisor Joseph Miller, I express my appreciation for years of incisive critiques and unflagging support from the incubation of this dissertation in my first graduate seminar to its completion. I reserve my greatest acknowledgement for my wife Patience, a constant companion through two (and counting) moves halfway across the world. Thank you. vi Contents