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Life in the Swahili town house reveals the symbolic meaning of spaces and artefact assemblages

Life in the Swahili town house reveals the symbolic meaning of spaces and artefact assemblages Swahili ethnographic information was used to interpret eighteenth-century coral house excavations in Lamu, Kenya. The author was especially interested in learning the symbolic or social meaning of durable objects that were found in archaeological assemblages. It was learned that many of the artefacts found in the excavations are related to rituals performed in Swahili houses. The spaces within the house are ranked and used to teach social position. Features of coral houses, animal remains, infant burials, shells, ceramics, and beads can be shown to have symbolic meaning within the Swahili context. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png African Archaeological Review Springer Journals

Life in the Swahili town house reveals the symbolic meaning of spaces and artefact assemblages

African Archaeological Review , Volume 5 (1) – Jan 24, 2005

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References (66)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright
Subject
Social Sciences; Archaeology; Anthropology; Regional and Cultural Studies
ISSN
0263-0338
eISSN
1572-9842
DOI
10.1007/BF01117092
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Swahili ethnographic information was used to interpret eighteenth-century coral house excavations in Lamu, Kenya. The author was especially interested in learning the symbolic or social meaning of durable objects that were found in archaeological assemblages. It was learned that many of the artefacts found in the excavations are related to rituals performed in Swahili houses. The spaces within the house are ranked and used to teach social position. Features of coral houses, animal remains, infant burials, shells, ceramics, and beads can be shown to have symbolic meaning within the Swahili context.

Journal

African Archaeological ReviewSpringer Journals

Published: Jan 24, 2005

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