Trade and Production Behaviors on the East African Coast: Discourse and Analysis on the East African Iron-Age Environment and Ceramic Production Networks

This dissertation challenges conventional understandings of the East African Iron Age (roughly 500 BCE-1500 CE) by emphasizing the crucial role of local communities and indigenous practices in shaping regional trade and cultural transformations. It challenges existing narratives that overemphasize external influences, instead focusing on local agency and knowledge systems. Three articles comprise the core of the work: the first analyzes historical port records from Lamu, Kenya, to demonstrate the capacity of small-scale sailing vessels to conduct robust, regional trade throughout the year, regardless of monsoon patterns. The second utilizes geochemical analyses of ceramics from four sites to reveal localized production systems and limited evidence of long-distance trade. The third article contextualizes these findings within a broader historical narrative of the East African Coast, suggesting that the stylistic unity of ceramics across the region despite largely local production systems might reflect either widespread consumption networks, migrations of potters between communities, or an adaptation to diverse geological conditions. This dissertation underscores the importance of data-driven research in contexts like East Africa, where historical records can be incomplete or biased toward a focus on external goods and influences. It concludes by highlighting the complexity of local and regional factors in shaping cultural and economic development in the region while advocating for a more nuanced understanding of the East African Iron-Age.