Abstract
This paper reviews published research on Swahili pillar tombs, as a specific type of tombs built of stone, by summarising records on almost fifty sites on the east coast of Africa. Dated to the 13th–16th centuries AD, the pillar tombs represented a core component of Swahili urban space. By considering their spatial setting, characteristics and comparative case studies from Africa and the Indian Ocean world, the paper reconsiders how pillar tombs might have functioned as a type of material infrastructure for creating social ties and notions of shared identity in a society that has never formally united.
Highlights
In Swahili urban histories, pillar tombs have been a recurring theme, often encountered as part of the built environment in Swahili towns from the pre-colonial era
A proposition was put forward 40 years ago in the period of early excavation projects in the region that pillar tombs constitute the sole invention of Swahili society (Kirkman 1975: 229), as they are unique in the realm of Islamic architecture
This paper examines the data published on nearly fifty sites with tombs including known case studies of sites pillar tombs
Summary
In Swahili urban histories, pillar tombs have been a recurring theme, often encountered as part of the built environment in Swahili towns from the pre-colonial era (for a synopsis, see Fleisher and Wynne-Jones 2012). Pillar tombs feature a stone pillar that makes them visible when they are located within the urban fabric of Swahili towns, and more monumental in terms of their size—which property may have enabled their commemorative power and efficacy. A proposition was put forward 40 years ago in the period of early excavation projects in the region that pillar tombs constitute the sole invention of Swahili society (Kirkman 1975: 229), as they are unique in the realm of Islamic architecture. The specific role of Swahili pillar tombs as a phenomenon of mortuary architecture that became widespread along the coast of East Africa remains unresolved
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