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It's what you do with it that counts

Performed identities in the East African coastal landscape

British Institute in Eastern Africa, Nairobi, Kenya, stephanie.wynne-jones{at}biea.ac.uk

Archaeologies of the East African coast have often referred to identity, cast in terms of ethnicity or class. This article argues that these categories, created by a particular approach to the data, are not sufficient to an understanding of the multiple processes of identification among coastal residents. It is argued that by focusing on human interaction with material culture, rather than assessing object distributions, we can move closer to such an understanding and can begin to go beyond the apparent restrictions of our data sets. This article focuses on analytical possibilities, asking questions as much as providing answers. By way of illustration a case study is discussed, based on the archaeology of Kilwa region in southern Tanzania.

Key Words: East Africa • identity • materiality • Swahili coast

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Journal of Social Archaeology, Vol. 7, No. 3, 325-345 (2007)
DOI: 10.1177/1469605307081392


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This Article Abstract Free Full Text (Free PDF) Free Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Saved Citations Download to citation manager Request Permissions Request Reprints Add to My Marked Citations Citing Articles Citing Articles via Web of Science (1) Citing Articles via Google Scholar Citing Articles via Scopus Google Scholar Articles by Wynne-Jones, S. Search for Related Content Social Bookmarking                         What's this?