One
of the
most
important
paleontological
sites
in Kenya
is Koobi
Fora
on the
Eastern
shore
of Lake
Turkana.
In 1965,
Bryan
Patterson
found
fossilized
remains
of Australopithecus
boisei
dated
at 2.5
million
years.
This
discovery
showed
that
this
hominid
was
older
than
first
thought.
Richard
Leakey
and
paleontologists
from
the
University
of California
have
excavated
this
site
since
1969.
They
found
skulls,
jaws
and
leg
and
arm
fragments
of Australopithecus
boisei
dated
at 1
to 2
million
years.
Also
found
at this
site
were
fossils
and
stone
artifacts
of Homo
Habilus
dated
at over
2 million
years.
Another
important
site
is Hyrax
Hill
near
Nakuru.
Archaeological
excavations
began
in the
1930s
and
excavation
continues
to be
done
periodically.
Both
an Iron
Age
and
Neolithic
site
were
discovered
on this
site.
Artifacts
found
include
pottery
fragments,
hut
and
village
remains,
and
burial
mounds.
Both
Iron
Age
and
Neolithic
people
chose
to bury
their
dead
in the
same
place.
On the
site
there
is also
a bao
game
board
carved
into
a boulder.
Modern
archaeological
sites
include
the
Swahili
settlements
on the
coast
(800
AD to
the
present).
The
ruins
at Gedi,
near
Malindi,
Mombasa
the
Lamu
Archipelago
in Kenya
and
Pate
and
Zanzibar
in Tanzania
have
been
investigated
by archaeologist
in order
to better
understand
the
Swahili
people
and
maritime
communities
of the
East
African
coast.
The
Swahili
were
an urban-based
trading
people
who
inhabited
the
coast.
Archeological
evidence
suggests
that
they
had
their
own
culture
before
the
adoption
of Islam
in the
late
12th
century.
In the
Lamu
area,
archaeologist
found
that
a timber
phase
was
followed
by stone
construction
around
920
AD.
The
ruins
at Gedi
and
houses
in Lamu
that
date
from
the
19th
century
reveal
the
evolution
of Swahili
architecture
and
design.
Many
of the
surviving
buildings
and
archaeological
evidence
show
the
influence
of Islam.
Almost
every
community
had
a stone
mosque,
many
of which
have
survived
in excellent
condition.
Archaeological
studies
in this
area
have
also
revealed
the
extent
of trade.
Evidence
suggests
that
pottery,
glass
and
beads
were
imported
while
ivory,
gold,
and
slaves
were
exported.
This
evidence
suggests
that
an important
component
of the
Swahili
economy
was
the
manufacturing
of goods
from
raw
materials,
especially
ironwork
and
textiles.
For
Further
Reading:
Allen,
James
de Vere.
Swahili
Origins.
London,
1993.
Horton,
Mark.
Shanga:
The
Archeology
of a
Muslim
Trading
Community
on the
Coast
of East
Of Africa.
London
and
Nairobi,
1996.
Leakey,
Richard.
The
Origin
of Mankind.
New
York,
1996