Preliminary Report of the Re-excavation of Ukunju Limestone Cave in Juani, Mafia Archipelago, Tanzania: More Evidence of Ancient Transoceanic Trade Connections

Previous phases of archaeological excavations at Ukunju limestone cave site on Juani, Maaarchipelago resulted in contrasting ndings. The rst excavations recovered materials that suggestancient settlements with concrete evidence of ancient transoceanic trade connections. However, thefollow-up excavations strikingly disputed such evidence by asserting that the earliest occupation ofthe cave site was the Middle Iron Age period and had no evidence for ancient transoceanic trade.This controversy alongside the recent reporting of underwater wall-like structures in the northwestwaters of the archipelago strengthened the need to revisit the limestone cave site. The currentexcavation of the site involved setting and digging of two trenches. The recovered materials suggestancient settlements and existence of transoceanic links between the coast of East Africa and regionsin Mediterranean, Southern Arabia, the Red Sea and eastern Indian Ocean. Most of the transoceanictrade materials have been recovered from a context dated to the early rst millennium CE. Thesamples collected from the lowest context date to the 4th millennium BCE associated with thelithic artefacts. We argue that Maa Archipelago was an important hub for the ancient internationalmaritime trade between the East African coast and distant regions. These ndings, therefore, presentan important basis for which the discovered underwater wall-like structures can be thought to beremains of a submerged settlement.