East Africa: The Emergence of a Pre-Swahili Culture on the Azanian Coast

As has been the case for Southeast Asia, the way in which historians regard the birth and expansion of the coastal cultures of East Africa has changed significantly in recent years. Archaeology has brought forward new knowledge that has caused a reappraisal of traditional accounts of the appearance and rise of settlements on the East African coast. Proponents of an Arab or Persian “colonization” have since given way to the advocates of an African development. However, it seems apparent that the debate cannot be settled in these terms alone.