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Mtepe: Documentation and Analysis of a Sewn-Boat Reconstruction from Zanzibar, Tanzania

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Abstract

In one form or another, the sewn-plank boats have been in existence along the Swahili coast of East Africa since at least the first century CE. Although the last such vessel type known later as mtepe vanished in the mid-1930s in Lamu Archipelago, Kenya, a research reconstruction was built in Zanzibar in 2003. It was originally housed in the House of Wonders as part of a large exhibit on the Dhow Cultures of the Indian Ocean. Due to a tragic collapse of the museum’s roof, the mtepe reconstruction named Shungwaya had to be moved to an open outdoor space in 2020. Since then, it has remained unprotected and exposed to the elements, which contributed to further deterioration and damage. The aim of this article is to expand on the initial work related to the reconstruction of Shungwaya, provide documentation and analysis of the structure of this research model and museum exhibit, produce a digital record, and provide ship lines and drawings. The article also draws attention to the importance of preserving vernacular shipbuilding traditions and culture through models, full-scale reconstructions, documentations, interpretations, and museum exhibitions.

Résumé

Sous une forme ou une autre, les bateaux en planches cousues existent le long de la côte Swahili de l'Afrique de l'Est depuis au moins le 1er siècle de notre ère. Bien que le dernier type de navire connu plus tard sous le nom de mtepe ait disparu au milieu des années 1930 dans l'Archipel de Lamu, au Kenya, une reconstruction de recherche a été construite à Zanzibar en 2003. Il était à l'origine installé dans la Maison des Merveilles dans le cadre d'une grande exposition sur le boutre. Cultures de l'océan Indien. En raison d’un effondrement tragique du toit du musée, le mtepe reconstitué nommé Shungwaya a dû être déplacé vers un espace extérieur ouvert en 2020. Depuis lors, il est resté sans protection et exposé aux éléments, ce qui a contribué à davantage de détérioration et de dommages. Le but de cet article est de développer les travaux initiaux liés à la reconstruction de Shungwaya, de fournir une documentation et une analyse de la structure de ce modèle de recherche et de cette exposition muséale, de produire un enregistrement numérique et de fournir des lignes et des dessins de navires. L’article attire également l’attention sur l’importance de préserver les traditions et la culture vernaculaires de la construction navale à travers des maquettes, des reconstructions à grande échelle, des documentations, des interprétations et des expositions de musée.

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Data Availability

The data that support the findings of this study are available by request through J. Richard Steffy Ship Reconstruction Laboratory, Nautical Archaeology Program, Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the House of Wonders, the Peace Memorial Museum, and the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Department of Museums and Antiquities in Zanzibar for the support these institutions provided to this project and a larger (ongoing) ship ethnography initiative in Zanzibar, Tanzania. In particular, the authors would like to thank Dr. Abdul Sheriff, other associated museum personnel, and local volunteers who lent their time and expertise. As per agreement with the authors, Sheriff offered an extensive oral account and a collection of published and unpublished sources related to the construction process of Shungwaya. The permission for the project was granted by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Department of Museums and Antiquities, Zanzibar.

Funding

Partial funding was provided by the Institute of Nautical Archaeology (INA), USA, and the Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anthropology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA

    Piotr T. Bojakowski, Akshay Sarathi & Raul Palomino Berrocal

  2. Department of Museums and Antiquities, Ministry of Tourism and Heritage, Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Zanzibar City, United Republic of Tanzania

    Abdallah Khamis Ali, Haji Othman & Bakari Othman

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  1. Piotr T. Bojakowski
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Correspondence to Piotr T. Bojakowski.

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Archaeological time period

Late 19th to twentieth century

Country and region discussed

Tanzania, Unguja (Zanzibar)

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Bojakowski, P.T., Sarathi, A., Berrocal, R.P. et al. Mtepe: Documentation and Analysis of a Sewn-Boat Reconstruction from Zanzibar, Tanzania. Afr Archaeol Rev 41, 139–159 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-024-09577-6

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