UNIVERSITY OF DAR ES SALAAM
COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES (COHU)

professor Felix Chami

BA (Dar), MA (Brown), PhD (Uppsala)

Email: fchami@udsm.ac.tz, felixchami@yahoo. com

 

Areas of specialization

Ceramics, ancient architecture and Archaeological theories.

 

Biography

Chamihas been a Professor of Archaeology since 2003. He graduated with a first degree in Sociology at the University of Dares Salaam in 1986, a Master degree in Anthropology at Brown University, USA in 1988, and then a PhD in Archeology at Uppsala University, Sweden in 1994. He has researched and published extensively on the East African coastal archaeology, focusing mainly on the earliest evidence of trade and contacts between East Africa and the outside world.

 

Chamihas been president of the SIDA-funded African Archeological Network since 2004 to the present. Operating in 13 African countries, the Network has sponsored a significant number of postgraduate (master and doctoral) students from member countries. The Network publishes an annual journal entitled ‘Studies in the African Past’, which is now in Volume13/14.

 

Research Interest

In addition to Chami’s interest in the archaeology of the coast of East Africa particularly trade and contacts between East Africa and other parts of the world, he is interested in ceramic technology, metallurgy, architectural technologies, Neolithic culture, maritime and underwater archaeology.

 

Current Projects

Cooperating withThanda Tanzania Ltd to research on Rufiji and Mafia on possible location of the Metropolis of Rhapta.

 

Past/Completed Projects

African Archaeology Network which dealt with past urbanization and human responses to environmental change being of 13 African countries.

 

Publications

Publications

Chami, F.A. 1988.  A Coastal EIA site in Kisarawe District. NyameAkuma 30:34-35.

Chami, F.A. 1990. Changwehela: A Submerged SlaveTown of Bagamoyo. In Urban

Origin in Eastern Africa-Proceedings of 1990 Workshop Harare and Great

Zimbabwe, no.6, Sinclair, P. and G. Pwiti, pp. 16-34. The Swedish Central

                 Board of National Antiquities.

Chami, F.A. 1992. Current Archaeological Research in the Bagamoyo District,

                 Tanzania. In Urban Origin in Eastern Africa: Proceeding of Zanzibar 1991

Workshop, no. 8, Sinclair, P. and A. Juma, pp. 16-34. The Swedish Central

                 Board of National Antiquities.

Chami, F.A. 1992. Limbo: Early Iron-working in South-eastern Tanzania. Azania 27:45-

                  52.

Chami, F.A. 1994. The Coast of Tanzania in the First Millenium AD: A study of the Iron

Working (farming) communities. SAA 7.Uppsala: SocietasArchaeologica

Uppsaliensis.

Chami, F.A. 1994-1995. The First Millenium AD on the EastAfricanCoast: A New

                     Look at Cultural sequences and interactions. Azania29-30:232-37.

Chami, F.A. 1996. The Excavation of Kiwangwa Late Stone Age Site. In Aspects of

African Archaeology: Papers for the 10th Congress of the Pan African

Association for Prehistory and Related Studies, Pwiti, G. and R. Soper, eds, pp. 307-316. Harare: Print Holdings.

Chami, F.A. 1997. The People and Language of the Ancient Coast of East Africa. In

Kaupia, DarmstadterBaitrageZurNaturgeschichte, Magori, C. Shrenk, F.

                    and B. Saanane, eds., pp. 165-167. Darmstaadt.

Chami, F.A. 1997. Olduvai: Berceau de L’Humanite’. La TanzanieContemporaine,

Baroin, C et F. Constantin, eds., pp. 31-42. Paris:Karthala.

Chami, F.A. 1998. A Review of Swahili Archaeology. African Archaeological Review

                     15 (3): 199-221.

Chami, F.A. 1998. Early Iron Age People’s Adaptation to the Near Shore and Island

                       Environments. Mvita 7: 15-17

Chami, F.A. 1999. Roman Beads from the Rufiji Delta, Tanzania: First Incontrovertible

                     Archaeological Link with the Periplus. Current Anthropology  40 (2):237-

                      41.

Chami, F.A. 1999. Graeco-Roman Trade Link and Bantu Migration Theory. Anthropos

                       92 (1/3): 205-215.

Chami, F.A. 1999. The Early Iron Age on MafiaIsland and its Relationship with the

                       Mainland. Azania34: 1-10.

Chami, F.A. 2000. Further Archaeological Research on Mafia Island. Azania 35: 208-

                        214.

Chami, F.A. 2001. Chicken Bones from a Neolithic cave site, Zanzibar: Contact between East Africa and Asia. In People, contact and environment in the Africanpast., Chami, F., Pwiti, G. & C. Radimilahy (eds), 84-98. Studies in the African Past 1. Dar-es- Salaam: University Press.

Chami, F.A. 2001. The archaeology of the Rufiji region from 1987 to 2000: Coastal and

                     interior dynamics from AD 00-500. In People, contact and environment in

the African past, Chami, F., Pwiti, G. and C. Radimilahy (eds), 7-20.

                      Studies in the African Past 1. Dar-es-Salaam: University Press. 

Chami, F.A. 2001 People and contacts in the ancient western Indian Ocean seaboard or Azania. Man and Environment (Special theme on The Indian Ocean in Antiquity) 27(2): 33-44.

Chami, F. A. 2001. A response to Christopher Ehret’s “Bantu Expansions”. The

 International Journal of African Historical Studies 34, 3:647-651.

Chami, F. A. 2002. East Africa and the Middle East relationship from the last

                       millennium BC to about AD 1500 AD. Journal des Africanistes 72(1-2).

Chami, F. A. 2002. The Excavation of Kaole Ruins. In Chami, F. and Pwiti, G . (eds.),

Southern Africa and the Swahili World, 25-49. Studies in the African Past 2. Dar-es-Salaam: University Press.

Chami, F. A. 2002. Kaole and the Swahili World. In Chami,F. and Pwiti, G. (eds),

Southern African and the Swahili World,  1-14. Studies in the African

                         Past 2. Dar-es-Salaam: University Press.

Chami, F. A. 2003. Early Iron Working communities on the East African coast:

                        Excavations at Kivinja, Tanzania. In Kusimba, C. and Kusimba, S. (eds),

East African Archaeology: foragers, potters, smiths, and traders, pp. 87-

                        98. Philadephia: University of PennsylvaniaMusum.

Chami, F. A. 2003. Climate change on the coast of East Africa since

                        3000 BC: Archaeological indicators. In Chami, F, Pwiti, G. and

Radimilahy, C., (eds), Climate, trade and modes of production in the Sub-Saharan Africa, 1-20. Studies in the African Past 3. Dar-es-Salaam:

                        University Press.

Chami, F. A. 2003. Early ironworking communities on the East African coast:

                        Excavations at Kivinja, Tanzania. In Kusimba, C. and Kusimba, S. (eds),

East African archaeology: foregers, potters, smiths and traders, 87-97.

                          Philadelphia: University of Pen. Museum.

Chami, F. A. 2004. Graeco-Roman documents about Azania: A new look

                        at some controversial issues. In Oestigaard, T. et al. (ed.),  Combining thepast and the present: archaeological perspectives on society, 137-148.                  

                       BAR International Series 1210. Oxford: Archaeopress.

Chami, F. A. 2004. The Archaeology of Mafia Archipelago. In Chami, F., Pwiti, G. and

Radimilahy, C. (eds), African Archaeology Network Reports and a Review,

                      73-101. Studies in the African Past 4. Dar-es-Salaam: University Press.

Chami, F. A. 2004a. The Egypto-Graeco-Romans and Panchaea/Azania: sailing in the

erythraean sea.  In Lunde, P. and Porter, A. (eds), Trade and travel in the

Red Sea Region. BAR International Series 1269, 93-103. Oxford:

Archaeopress.

Chami, F. A. 2004b. Graeco-Roman documents about Azania: A new look at some

                       controversial issues. In Oestigaard, T. et al (eds), Combining the past and the present: archaeological perspectives on society, 137-142. British Archaeological Reports: International  Series (BAR). Oxford: Archaeopress.

Chami, F.A. 2005. Current Archaeological Research in mainland Tanzania. In Mapunda,

                    B. and Msemwa P., eds, Salvaging Tanzanian’s cultural heritage., 81- 90,

                    Dar-es-Salaam, University Press.

Chami, F. 2005.The ancient western Indian Ocean world market: 600-300 BCJournal of Indian Ocean Archaeology 2:1-8.

Chami, F. 2006 .The Unity of African Ancient History: 3000BC-500AD. Mauritius:

                    E&D Publishers.

Chami, F. 2006. The archaeology of Pre-Islamic KilwaKisiwani (Island). In John and

                   Jill Kinahans (eds), The African Archaeology Network: Research in progress, 119-150. Windhoek: University of Dar-es-Salaam Press.

Chami, F. 2006. Cities and towns in East Africa. In Selin, H., ed., Encyclopaedia  of the

History of science, technology and medicine in non-western cultures.

Hempshire. Hempshire College.

Chami, F. 2007. Diffusionism in African Archaeology: reflections from new

                          archaeological findings.African Archaeological Review 24 (1-2): 1 –14.

Chami, F. 2007. Evidence of Ancient African beliefs in celestial bodies. Astrophysics and spacescience proceedings 30: 119-128.

Chami, F. 2008. The Great Lakes: a complexity of cultural wellsprings. In Arnold, M. ed. Art inEastern Africa. 47 – 64.Dar es Salaam: MkukinaNyota.

Chami, F. 2008. The atomic model view of society: application in the studies

                     of the african past. In Schmidt, P., ed. Postcolonial Archaeologies in Africa.39-56.Santa Fe and Oxford: SAR Press and James Currey.

Chami, F.  2009 (ed). Zanzibar and the Swahili Coast from 30,000 years ago. Dehli:

                    E&D Publishers.

Chami, F. 2009. Kilwa and the Swahili towns: reflections from an archaeological perspective. In Larsen  K., ed. Knowledge, renewal and religion. 38 – 56. Uppsala: NordiskaAfricakainstitutet.

Chami, F. 2011. The problem of equifinality in archaeology. Studies in the African Past 9: 5 – 21.

Chami 2011.Aarcheological research in Comoresbetween  2007 to 2009. inCvilisations

desmondsInsulairesed.Allibert,CKartala, Paris

Chami F. 2015.The problem of equifinalty in Archeology in Wynne-Jones S. and Fleisher J.

Theory in Africa, Africa in Theory. London, Routledge.

Chami, F. 2017. Ancient  seafaring in Eastern African Indian Ocean waters. In: De Souza, P.

              (ed.), The Sea in History: Antiquity 523536. London: Boydell& Brewer.

Chami F.A and Busoloetal. 2012. Archaeology of Mbui: In search of the pre-Islamic settlement on Pate Island .Studies in the African past 10: 2146

Chami F.A. and Valence Valerian 2012. Search for the lost metropolis of Azania –Rhapta.Continued research in Misimbo Rufiji. Studies in the African past 10:107-126

Chami, F. A. and Chami, R.A. 2001. Narosura Pottery from the Southern Coast of

                        Tanzania: First Incontrovertible Coastal Late Stone Age Pottery. Nyame

Akuma 56:29-35.

Chami, F., Eze-uzomaka, Mangut, J. and C. Bakinde 2011. Further excavation of

Amaovoko, Leja, Nsukka, Nigeria. Studies in the African Past 9:62 – 72.

Chami, F.,  Khator, J. and Ali, A. 2011. The excavation of Mangapwani cave, Pemba

                     Island, Zanzibar. Studies in the African Past 9: 73 -78.

Chami, F.A. & E. Kessy 1995. The 1994 Kisiju Archaeological work. NyameAkuma

                      43: 10-18.

Chami, F. and A. Kwekason 2003. Neolithic pottery traditions from the islands, the coast

                     and the interior of East Africa. African Archaeological Review 20 (2):65-80

Chami, F.A. & B. Mapunda 1998. The Archaeological reconnaissance North of the

                     Rufiji Delta. NyameAkuma 49:62-78.

Chami, F., Maro, E., Kessy, J. and Odunga, S. 2004. Historical Archaeology of

Bagamoyo: Excavations at the Caravan-Serai. Dar-es-Salaam: University

                    Press.

Chami, F.A. & P. Msemwa 1997. A New Look at Culture and Trade on the Azanian

                      Coast, Current Anthropology 38 (4): 673-677.

Chami, F. and P. Msemwa 1997. The Excavation of KwaleIsland, South of Dar-es-

                   Salaam. NyameAkuma 48: 45-56.

Chami, F. and R. Tibesasa. 2010. The archaeology of Kinanisi – SenyiUganda. Studies in the African Past 8: 110 – 124.

Chami, F.A. and G. Wafula. 1999. Zanzibar in the Neolithic and Roman times. Mvita

                       8:1-14.

Chami F. and Msemwa P. 1997. “A new look at Culture and trade on the Azanian coast”

                  Current Anthropology 38/4673-677.

Chami F and Namunaba I. et.al. 2012. “The archeology of Mbui”: In search of Pre-Islamic  Settlement on Pate Island. Studies in the Afircan past10:-21-47.

Chami F. and Ntandu C.2018. “Reconstructing past networks between the coast and interior.” In Ekblom

              E, and Isandal C eds, The resilience of Heritage.291-307. Uppsala, Uppsala University. scale. In honor of Paul Sinclair. Upssala, Uppsaliensis.

Chami F. Tabibou I. and Adouroihamane B. 2009. “Preliminary report of archeological

          Reconnaissance on the southern Ngazija Island”. In Chami F. (ed), Zanzibar and the Swahili coast from 3,000 years ago.115-129. Dar-es Salaam, E&D Vission.

Horton, M and Chami, F. 2018. Swahili Origin. In: Wynne J. and Laviolette, A. (eds), The Swahili World. London Routeledge

Kwekason, A. and Chami, F. 2003. The Archaeology of Muleba. Studies in the African

              Past 3. Dar-es-Salaam:

                     University Press.

Moustakim and Chami F. 2015.  ‘Excavation of the earliest known Mosque in Comores

                    and East Africas’. Studies in the African Past 12: 8-30/WW Amazon.uk.

Sinclair, P., Juma, A. and Chami, F. 2006. The archaeology of pre-Islamic Kilwa

Kisiwani(island). In Kinahan, J. and Kinahan J., eds, The African

 archaeology Network: Research in progress, 107-118. Studies in the African Past 5. Windhoek: Namibian Archaeological Press.

Mapunda, B. and Chami F. 2006. Analysis report of metallurgical materials from 

Ngurunisite ,KilwaKisiwani . Studies in the African past 5 : 151-166

Valerian V. and Chami F. 2012. “In search for the lost metropolis of Azania-Rhapta:

               continued research in Misimbo, Rufiji”. Studies in the African Past 10: 107-127