Travelling to The Land of The Zanj

2017.01.26 The coast of Zanj was fabled as an exotic land, full of wild animals, curious peoples, and precious commodities such as ivory and gold. Based on the most recent archaeological discoveries along the Swahili coast, this lecture reveals what the sailors and merchants from the Gulf actually found when they followed the monsoons to East Africa over 1,000 years ago. Emphasis is placed on the importance of Africa in the global trade systems of the Arabs, and how these incredible voyages took place to the furthest reaches of the Indian Ocean. Speakers Mark Horton Professor in Archaeology, University of Bristol