Digging into the Past

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Ceci Richardson participated in an archeology program on Pemba Island.

Interview & introduction by Ethan Troyer, Miller School History Teacher.

This summer, a unique archaeological program unfolded on Pemba Island called the Later Zanzibar Archaeology Project. The team included graduate students from colleges and universities, including the University of Virginia, Rice, and Northwestern. Students worked alongside officials from the Department of Museums and Antiquities. Remarkably, Miller School senior, Ceci Richardson, was able to join the crew as the only high school student.

Where did the program take place? Who ran the program?

The archaeological dig was organized by two professors: the Iron Age archaeologist Adria LaViolette (UVa) and Rhiannon Stephens (Columbia), a historian of medieval Africa. Joining them were graduate students from UVA, Rice, Northwestern, as well as officials from the Zanzibar antiquities ministry. I was the only high schooler. We all convened on Pemba Island, which is located in the Indian Ocean, 60 miles north of Zanzibar, off the coast of Tanzania. It’s definitely not a tourist destination. In fact, we only saw two other non-Pembans on the island the entire time we were there. Everyone speaks Swahili, and the island is 99% Muslim. 

The dig itself took place deep in a rural village. To get there each morning, we drove for 30 minutes from Chake Chake, which is the island’s capital city, along very bad roads.

How did you find the program?

Professors are always looking for research assistants, especially with big, complex projects like this one.

How long was the program?

The dig lasted three weeks, but I didn’t spend the entire three weeks there. I spent a week touring Zanzibar Island and then flew to Arusha, in northern Tanzania, to hike on Mount Kilimanjaro for another four days!

What interested you in this program?

I was actually pretty intimidated to go. 

What interests do you have in history?

Both of my parents are professional historians of the non-US, so I grew up traveling a lot to archives, conferences, and libraries. I’ve already lived in two countries (Germany and the US) and visited another 18 countries. 

Have you had any experiences like this before?

Not really! This was my first time visiting East Africa, my first time traveling below the equator, and my first time at an active archaeological dig. I had also never traveled to a malaria zone, so I had to get used to taking anti-malarials every morning and sleeping under a mosquito net. Initially, I found the culture, language, and physical environment very unfamiliar, but the people were very welcoming. I would like to return someday soon. I’ve been invited to return next summer, so it just may happen.

The food was different, and to my surprise some of the best meals I have ever had were in Pemba. The cuisine is a mix of Persian, Indian, and East African influences. Delicious.

What was the goal of the dig?

Our dig site was active from 600 to 900 CE. Different participants had different goals. A graduate student named Shelby was testing the pottery fragments for botanical remains. She was trying to figure out the diets of the medieval Pembans. Professor Stephens was seeking evidence that climate change had altered gender roles in the period. Professor LaViolette was trying to map the entire settlement and determine the extent of the residents’ contacts with foreign traders.

What did the typical day look like for you?

I would wake up with the dawn call to prayer, but would go back to sleep for another hour. Then I had a breakfast of fruit (oranges, apples, bananas, papaya, watermelon), chapati, bungo juice (which comes from the rubber vine), and chai. The team would arrive at the worksite by 9:30 AM, and we would greet the villagers who came out to observe or help with the digging. I mostly helped with digging, sifting the soil, measuring the pits, and conducting surface surveys on the nearby beach. We worked until about 1:00 PM, then would break for lunch. At lunch, we ate cassava leaves, beans, coconut rice, and more chai. These were some of my favorite meals, because they were communal. Over lunch, we discussed what we had found that day. In the afternoon, we conducted analyses on the artifacts and began cataloging them. After that, I had free time, when I would go shopping in the bustling marketplace, the island’s economic hub, or swim with sea turtles, or visit the Chake Chake fort.

What was your favorite part of the experience?

I appreciated being surprised by little things. For one, I didn’t know that oranges in equatorial Africa were green. They taste the same as Florida oranges, though. I enjoyed seeing the  women’s very colorful garments–veils and long dresses. When a group of women were standing together, they looked like a bouquet of flowers. Everyone was very friendly, especially children, who wanted to practice their English with me. 

What did you find difficult about the program?

Communicating with the young men on the dig was difficult as I spoke no Swahili and they spoke no English. We communicated by leading each other to a place we needed help and lots of pointing. They showed their hospitality by doing small things like washing my dirty shoes after we’d been in the mud all day. Or they brought me extra helpings of food or brought other small gifts.

Did you find anything interesting during the dig?

We found lots of evidence of contact with Muslim traders in the 700s and 800s. Considering that Islam was a 7th-century religion, this is remarkably early contact.

Has this inspired you to look further into archaeology?

Well, thinking about human life on such vast time scales helps me keep perspective. It was interesting to wonder how much of our lives will be known in 1000 years. We were excavating sites that were more than 1000 years old, yet we were holding their pots and their tools, excavating their ancient wells. Looking around the landscape every day, I would imagine why they chose to live in a particular place and how their lives must have been. 

If anything, the experience has strengthened my desire to work internationally. The Earth is so fascinating.