Rural Settlement Dynamics in a Rapidly Urbanizing Landscape: Insights from Satellite Remote Sensing and Archaeological Field Surveys in Zanzibar, Tanzania

Satellite remote sensing reveals that rural agricultural land played a pivotal role in the emergence of precolonial urbanism and remained significant as Zanzibar's Stone Town expanded during the Colonial era. This study demonstrates how high-resolution multitemporal satellite data can overcome challenges posed by rapid urbanization, which often obscures archaeological sites and limits traditional survey methods. By targeting undeveloped areas within urban interstices, researchers reconstructed settlement trajectories over the last millennium, offering new insights into African urban trajectories and heritage conservation in UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

Alders, W. (2024). Rural Settlement Dynamics in a Rapidly Urbanizing Landscape: Insights from Satellite Remote Sensing and Archaeological Field Surveys in Zanzibar, Tanzania. Journal of Field Archaeology, 49(8), 634–652. https://doi.org/10.1080/00934690.2024.2402962