Scientists to excavate Malindi seabed

• Archaeologist says an object spotted 100 feet above sea level could be a shipwreck or ruins of the legendary city of Ungama claimed to have been submerged hundreds of years ago.
• Recent studies have shown that Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu coasts have a history of shipwrecks in the coastal area.
• Local fishermen have reported seeing artefacts, shipwrecks and other objects that validate local and foreign encounters with the Swahili coast.

Mombasa

The National Museums of Kenya is to start an underwater excavation in Malindi.

The process will begin after the completion of an expedition on land that led to the discovery of more than 15 skeletons and Arabic pottery.

A team of underwater archaeologists from Kenya and China will from November excavate the seabed in the hope of developing an underwater museum.

Museums’ underwater archaeologist Caesar Bita, who will lead the Kenyan team, said there was a great possibility of discovering artefacts from the seabed.

Speaking by phone in Malindi, Mr Bita said archaeologists had gathered evidence from local fishermen who had reported seeing artefacts, shipwrecks and other objects that validate local and foreign encounters with the Swahili coast.

“We have reported cases that include a wooden shipwreck containing Chinese and Indian pottery discovered by divers off Leopard bay reef,” he said.

He added that a similar case that includes an object given the name “Mambrui lump” that is about 100 feet above the sea level had been spotted.

The archaeologist said that it could be a shipwreck or ruins of the legendary and undiscovered city of Ungama claimed to have been submerged hundreds of years ago.

Recent studies have shown that Mombasa, Malindi and Lamu coasts have a history of shipwrecks in the coastal area.

Mr Bita said the undiscovered underwater heritage emanates from historical records, especially by the Portuguese.

In the North Coast, during the Ming dynasty, the Chinese were said to have launched missions to the African continent led by Zheng He, a Chinese admiral, diplomat and explorer.