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

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.