Dar es Salaam is the principal city in Tanzania, and is located on the Indian Ocean coast. The Department of Antiquities (for the mainland) is located in the National Museum (the older of two buildings is shown below) in the centre of the city. The University of Dar es Salaam, overlooking the city, includes an Archaeology Unit training Tanzanians to study their own past.
(a)
Bahari Beach hotel, north of Dar es Salaam; (c) the old museum building, Dar;
(c) the University of Dar es Salaam, overlooking the city
In 1988, during my visit, workmen dug a small trench to put a fence around the old and new museum buildings. They uncovered two burials between the old museum and the Bunge or Parliament buildings. The Director of Antiquities, Dr. S.A.C. Waane, decided to conduct a salvage excavation of these burials over the next few days.
(a)
Dr. Waane at excavation site; old museum in background; (b) Burial 1 closeup;
(c) Burial 1.
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