Sea Ports and Sea Power: African Maritime Cultural Landscapes (SpringerBriefs in Archaeology)

This volume represents a more Africanist approach to the framework of maritime landscapes and challenges of adapting international heritage policy such as the UNESCO convention. While the concept of a maritime landscape is very broad, a more focused thematic strategy draws together a number of case studies in South Africa, Namibia, Tanzania, and Nigeria with a common thread. Specifically, the contributors address the sub-theme of sea ports and sea power as part of understanding the African maritime landscape. Sea ports and surrounds are dynamic centers of maritime culture supporting a rich diversity of cultural groups and economic activities. Strategic locations along the African coastline have associations with indigenous maritime communities and trade centers, colonial power struggles and skirmishes, establishment of naval bases and operations, and World War I and II engagements. Introduction: Maritime Landscapes as an African Approach to Maritime Archaeology 5 Contents 8 List of Figures 10 About the Editor 12 Contributors 13 Chapter 1: When Did the Swahili Become Maritime? A Reply to Jeffrey Fleisher et al. (2015) 14 1.1 Introduction 14 1.2 Background to the Academic Discourse on Maritime History of the Swahili Coast 15 1.3 Documentary and Archaeological Evidence of Early Maritimity 16 1.4 Conclusion 20 References 22 Chapter 2: Port of Badagry, a Point of No Return: Investigation of Maritime Slave Trade in Nigeria 25 2.1 Introduction 25 2.2 Background 26 2.3 The Maritime Cultural Landscape 28 2.4 African Middlemen 29 2.4.1 Chief Mobi (Mobee) 29 2.4.2 Chief Seriki Abass Williams 30 2.5 Slave Relics 30 2.6 Built Heritage and Places of Significance 31 2.6.1 The Vlekete Slave Market 31 2.6.2 Slave Barracoons 31 2.6.3 Attenuation Well 32 2.6.4 The Point of No Return 32 2.7 Intangible Materials of Slave Trade in Badagry 33 2.7.1 Songs 33 2.7.2 Drama 33 2.7.3 Freedom Dance 34 2.7.4 Names and Festivals 34 2.7.5 Badagry Festival 34 2.7.6 Contemporary Beliefs and Philosophy of the Badagry People About the Slave Trade 35 2.7.7 Attitude 35 2.8 Conclusion 36 References 36 Chapter 3: “A Gulf Between the Mountains”: Slavers, Whalers, and Fishers in False Bay, Cape Colony 38 3.1 Introduction 38 3.2 False Bay and Simon’s Town 39 3.3 Slaves and Seafaring 40 3.4 Whaling and Fishing 41 3.5 Kroomen 44 3.6 Material Culture and Memory 45 3.6.1 Buildings and Exhibits 45 3.6.2 Cemetery 47 3.6.3 Simon’s Town Gravestone Data on Kroomen Serving on British Ships in Late 1800s 47 3.6.4 Fishing Culture 49 3.7 Conclusions 50 References 51 Chapter 4: Technology and Empire: A Comparative Analysis of British and Dutch Maritime Technologies During the Napoleonic Era (1792-1815) 53 4.1 Introduction 53 4.2 Cape Town: Global Politics on a Local Scale 54 4.3 Bato: History of the Dutch 74-Gun Ship of Line 55 4.4 Brunswick: History of the British East Indiaman 55 4.5 Archaeology and Analysis of Bato and Brunswick 56 4.5.1 Scantling Measurements and Ship Construction 56 4.5.2 Iron Knee Measurements 58 4.5.3 Wood Samples 60 4.5.4 Copper Analysis 61 4.6 Conclusion 62 References 63 Chapter 5: Bay of Storms and Tavern of the Seas: The Role of Risk in the Maritime Cultural Landscape of the Cape Town Harbour 65 5.1 Introduction 65 5.2 A Maritime Cultural Landscapes Approach 66 5.2.1 Risk and the Maritime Cultural Landscape 66 5.3 Methodology 67 5.4 Historical Background 67 5.5 Evidence of Risk in Table Bay 68 5.5.1 The Bay of Storms 69 5.5.2 Shipping Risks 71 5.6 Risk Mitigation Strategies in Table Bay 72 5.6.1 Protection of Ships in the Bay 72 5.6.2 Management of Harbour Operations 73 5.7 Conclusion 74 References 74 Chapter 6: World War I Shipwrecks of the Western Indian Ocean of Tanzania: Neglected Underwater Heritage Resources 76 6.1 Introduction 76 6.2 Overview of WWI Shipwreck Sites 77 6.3 The State of Shipwreck Research 81 6.4 Challenges in Shipwreck Management 82 6.5 The Future of Shipwreck Heritage Management 83 6.6 Conclusion 83 References 83 Chapter 7: Thomas T. Tucker: A Beached US Liberty Ship in Cape Point Nature Reserve, South Africa 85 7.1 Introduction 85 7.2 Historical Background 85 7.2.1 History of Liberty Ships 87 7.2.2 Construction 88 7.2.3 S.S. Thomas T. Tucker 89 7.3 Methodology 90 7.4 Site Formation 91 7.4.1 Fasteners, Rivets, and Welds 91 7.4.2 Cultural Impacts 92 7.4.3 Biological Impacts 92 7.5 Conclusion and Recommendations for Future Research 93 References 94 Chapter 8: On Desolate Sands: Beached Shipwrecks in the Namibian Coastal Landscape 96 8.1 Introduction 96 8.2 Environment 97 8.3 Historical Background 99 8.4 Management Background 101 8.5 Beached Shipwrecks 101 8.5.1 Meob Bay Surfboats 102 8.5.2 Eduard Bohlen 102 8.6 Heritage Management and Sustainable Tourism 104 8.7 Archaeological Indicators of Environmental Change and Tools for Management 105 8.8 Conclusions 106 References 107 Chapter 9: Benefits, Burdens, and Opportunities in South Africa: The Implications of Ratifying the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage 108 9.1 Introduction 108 9.2 Policy Framework 109 9.3 Reviewing Maritime Archaeology and the Underwater Cultural Heritage Resource 110 9.4 Benefits and Burdens: The Implications of Ratification 112 9.5 Where to from Here? Opportunities of the 2001 Convention 114 9.6 Conclusion 116 Chapter 10: Epilogue 118 Index 122 Front Matter....Pages i-xv When Did the Swahili Become Maritime? A Reply to Jeffrey Fleisher et al. (2015)....Pages 1-11 Port of Badagry, a Point of No Return: Investigation of Maritime Slave Trade in Nigeria....Pages 13-25 “A Gulf Between the Mountains”: Slavers, Whalers, and Fishers in False Bay, Cape Colony....Pages 27-41 Technology and Empire: A Comparative Analysis of British and Dutch Maritime Technologies During the Napoleonic Era (1792-1815)....Pages 43-54 Bay of Storms and Tavern of the Seas: The Role of Risk in the Maritime Cultural Landscape of the Cape Town Harbour....Pages 55-65 World War I Shipwrecks of the Western Indian Ocean of Tanzania: Neglected Underwater Heritage Resources....Pages 67-75 Thomas T. Tucker: A Beached US Liberty Ship in Cape Point Nature Reserve, South Africa....Pages 77-87 On Desolate Sands: Beached Shipwrecks in the Namibian Coastal Landscape....Pages 89-100 Benefits, Burdens, and Opportunities in South Africa: The Implications of Ratifying the 2001 UNESCO Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage....Pages 101-110 Epilogue....Pages 111-114 Back Matter....Pages 115-118