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| The Gedi Ruins, one of several examples of an ancestral Swahili settlement (Source: MalindiKenya.net) |
Swahili is a language spoken across East Africa. Contemporary Swahili speakers trace descent
to the Swahili people, who lived in different cultural contexts than how their
descendants do today. The histories of these ancestral populations, however,
are narrated by non-Swahili people, which is problematic as this often can and
does lead to inaccurate historical narratives about the past. This is the case in interpreting the Swahili
past, wherein either a strictly African or non-African model is emphasized. While one (the African model) seemingly promotes
the Swahili people and the other (the non-African model) does not it is
important to share an accurate interpretation of the past rather than one that encourages
a specific group’s contemporary sociopolitical goals.
Modern archaeological research sought to resolve this matter
by using an ethnoarchaeological approach, meaning one that involved descendent
populations. They were consulted
throughout the archaeological process by a couple of means. First, they interviewed about their own interpretations
and beliefs concerning their histories, and second they were present and aided
in the interpretation of archaeological artifacts. Systematic survey and excavation methods were
also employed to ensure the collection of artifacts and contextual information
of the past were preserved. The artifact
assemblages demonstrated a rich trade history wherein locally made goods were
used alongside those imported from the Asian continent, demonstrating at a
minimum contact and trade among geographically distant groups.
As additional means of researching the past were made
available scholars employed these new methods, which took shape as ancient DNA
analyses. These methods were employed in
hopes of repairing the potentially false narratives of the past, particularly
those concerning the ancestral Swahili.
The goal was to see if the DNA results matched archaeological
interpretations and contemporary oral histories shared by Swahili descendent
populations. Ultimately, these data do not support the accepted histories of
the descent populations or contemporary scholars, but they are still important
in demystifying the past.
A diverse group of scholars, in accordance with the wishes
of the descendent Swahili populations, undertook excavations of Swahili
ancestors and collected samples for DNA analysis. DNA was collected, but it was the DNA from 80
elite (ruling class) individuals that was ultimately analyzed. The results were unexpected. Instead of demonstrating either a largely
African or Asian elite the ancient DNA showed that African elites were
mixing/interbreeding with Asian populations around 1000 years ago. Asian populations included Persians (i.e.,
Middle Easterners) and Indians (i.e., individuals from the Indian subcontinent),
which were both groups that widely traded with the local Swahili populations. The DNA results also demonstrated that it was
Asian males who interbred with local African women. This evidence supports the Kilwa Chronicle, a historical
source that many scholars and the Swahili descendent populations had previously
rejected (again, because it did not support a purely African or Asian
narrative).
These unexpected results required further review since they
did not match the dominant and accepted historical narratives about the Swahili
past. Scholars turned to the cultural
traditions of the Swahili and related populations to find their answers. It is known that they were matriarchal,
meaning wealth and status was passed down from mother to daughter to
granddaughter and so on. It is
hypothesized that Asian men married into elite families and adopted African/Swahili
culture in order to secure more power within the African-Asian trade networks.
Ultimately, the notions that have been promoted over time of
a strictly African or Asian Swahili population are no longer supportable, but
that is not necessarily a bad thing. As
two scholars, Chapurukha Kusimba and David Reich, involved in the ancient DNA
project pointed out: “Objective
knowledge about the past has great potential to help marginalized peoples. By
making it possible to challenge and overturn narratives imposed from the
outside for political or economic ends, scientific research provides a
meaningful and underappreciated tool for righting colonial wrongs.”
Bibliography
Brielle, E. S., Fleisher, J., Wynne-Jones, S., Sirak, K.,
Broomandkhoshbacht, N., Callan, K., ... & Kusimba, C. M. (2023). Entwined
African and Asian genetic roots of medieval peoples of the Swahili
coast. Nature, 615(7954), 866-873.
Kusimba, C., & Reich, D. (2023, May 30). Ancient
DNA Supports Swahili Oral Traditions. Retrieved from Sapiens:
https://www.sapiens.org/biology/ancient-dna-swahili-origins/
