An Outport for Gedi?—Archaeological Survey in Mida Creek, Kenya

Archaeological survey in Mida Creek, Kenya, reveals potential evidence that Chafisi may have served as an outport for the ancient Swahili city of Gedi. The study, conducted by the 'MUCH to Discover in Mida Creek' project, identified a concentration of contemporary house sites near the creek's closest point to Gedi, suggesting possible maritime trade activity. This finding challenges previous assumptions about Gedi's limited seaward connectivity and offers new insights into its role within the Indian Ocean maritime trade networks from the 10th to 16th centuries CE.

Bita, C., & Forsythe, W. (2023). An Outport for Gedi?—Archaeological Survey in Mida Creek, Kenya. Heritage, 6(12), 7366–7380. https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage6120386