For the last century, archaeologists have surveyed and studied sites on the Swahili coast of East... more For the last century, archaeologists have surveyed and studied sites on the Swahili coast of East Africa, that represent the remains of past Swahili settlements and, in few cases, living historical towns. This paper is the first discussion of a collection of the names under which these past towns have been known, some of which may date back to the precolonial period. The present enquiry is concerned with the analysis of linguistic features, folk etymology and the conceptual content of these toponyms. It considers the recognised important themes in archaeology and history of the Swahili society, such as the political functioning of these towns as city states and the attested social and economic relevance of trade, the built environment and the role of the ocean. Utilising this knowledge, it reflects on how the names contributed to place-making and defining the identity of these towns both as individual entities and as part of the Swahili cultural sphere. The interdisciplinary approach and perspectives (linguistic and archaeological) help to elucidate the connection between the socio-historical relevance of these sites and their cultural conceptualisations.
In 2021, a survey of two sites, known as Jumba la Mtwana and Mnarani in Kenya took place, which d... more In 2021, a survey of two sites, known as Jumba la Mtwana and Mnarani in Kenya took place, which date between the 14 th and 16 th centuries CE. The sites represent some of the Swahili towns on the East African coast that were in the precolonial period taking part in trade along the coastline, to inland Africa and as far as the Middle East, India, and China. Today, the sites feature standing remains of various architectural features constructed of coral rag, a local type of limestone. This paper reports on a high-definition survey, which for the first time documented the entirety of the standing remains, spatial layout, and a configuration of these predominantly Islamic towns. The survey was conducted using a combination of 3D scanning technologies and photography, aimed at achieving two goals-documenting the state of preservation of the architectural remains and, perhaps more importantly, answering research questions in Swahili archaeology pertaining to the organisation of the urban constructed space. The preliminary results show that data from the conducted survey bring new information on the life-cycles of mosque architecture or on the construction of exterior urban space, contributing to the discussion on the existence and organisation of streets.
The tropical urbanism of coastal East Africa has a thousand-year-long history, making it a recogn... more The tropical urbanism of coastal East Africa has a thousand-year-long history, making it a recognized example of sustainable urbanism. Although economically dependent on trade, the precolonial Islamic towns of the so-called Swahili coast did not feature markets or other public buildings dedicated to mercantile activities before the European colonial involvement. In this regard, Swahili urban tradition differed from other tropical Islamic cities, such as in Morocco, Mali, Egypt or the Middle East, where markets fulfilled the role of social and economic hubs and, in terms of movement, major transitory/meeting spaces in the trading towns. Yet, the Swahili urban tradition thrived for centuries as a well-connected cosmopolitan type of tropical urbanism. As research has suggested, the public role of spaces associated with trade might have been fulfilled by houses. Using approaches of space syntax and network analysis, this article studies the morphology of the houses considering whether it could have been the courtyards that simulated the role of markets thanks to their transitory spatial configuration. The results are discussed reflecting on other models of houses with courtyards, especially the modern Swahili house appearing later in the colonial era when markets began to be established, and Islamic houses known from elsewhere.
Prace se zabýva těžbou nerostných surovin v kontextu zaniklých středověkých vesnic. Terenni výzku... more Prace se zabýva těžbou nerostných surovin v kontextu zaniklých středověkých vesnic. Terenni výzkum zaměřený na ziskani poznatků na toto tema proběhl ve dvou přikladových oblastech v okresech Rokycany a Plzeň - jih. Povrchový průzkum doplněný drobnou sondaži těžebnich arealů a průzkumem s detektorem kovů se soustředil výlucně na lesni prostředi. Průběh a výsledky výzkumu byly srovnavany se situaci v dalsich evropských zemich. Bylo zjistěno, že v kontextu se zaniklými středověkými vesnicemi v daných oblastech probihala povrchova těžba železne rudy a jeji zuslechťovani v podobě roztloukani a praženi. Lze soudit, že těžba nerostných surovin v pozdnim středověku doplňovala zemědělstvi v ekonomicke zakladně řady vesnic, ackoli z historických pramenů se o těchto aktivitach nedozvidame. Výzkum přinesl rovněž poznatky významne vseobecně pro výzkum středověkých vesnic, těžebnich arealů, a pro povrchový průzkum v lesnim prostředi.
The conference represents an important stepping-stone in the cooperation of the Czech Centre for ... more The conference represents an important stepping-stone in the cooperation of the Czech Centre for African Studies based at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, where the conference was organized, and the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. It was also a continuation of a series of previous meetings and an exhibition (20th century Revisited: Relations between former Czechoslovakia and Ethiopia) that had been on show from October 1st to November 30th at the Ethnographic Museum of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Africa Days 2015 (2nd Ethio-Czech Conference on Africa) was the fourth event of its kind organized or co-organized by the Centre of African Studies in Pilsen since 2013. Last year, the 1st Central European African Studies Conference was hosted in Pilsen, and later that year, the 1st Ethio-Czech Conference on Africa was co-organized by Jimma University (Ethiopia) and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (Czech Republic).
The paper addresses the current need for expanding ways to understand and research aspects of urb... more The paper addresses the current need for expanding ways to understand and research aspects of urban sustainability, which are related to the social environment. Sustainability of living historic cities is related to, among other factors, their socio-spatial structure and relationships. For past urban contexts, these mostly intangible characteristics can be studied by analyses of the material aspects of urban space, which have been shaped over the long term. Shifting our focus from the preserved buildings and collections of finds onto space and spatial configurations in their own right may bring new revelations about the dynamics of the urban layouts, street networks and sensory environment. Urban streets and open spaces, specifically, may be analysed as a record of past preferences for movement patterns that are part of the sensory environment in each settlement. In this paper, urban kinesthetics are viewed as a component of social traditions and cultural heritage, and it is analysed how materially constituted networks and characteristics of the sensory environment may have contributed to the long-term social sustainability of urban settlements. As case studies, the East African towns of Mombasa, Kenya and Mozambique Island, Mozambique, represent living historical towns and sites of cultural heritage, and symbolise urban growth on a historical background reaching to the precolonial era. It is shown how the built environment of these towns have affected capacity for movement in the urban space and how movement was channelled in the urban environment. It is argued that while it is more common to understand urban architectural heritage as a collection of preserved buildings with a certain set of characteristics, adding a spatial dimension to archaeological interpretations of the built environment can aid producing relevant considerations for shaping the future of cities.
The organization of past urban space continues to be an important focus of archaeological researc... more The organization of past urban space continues to be an important focus of archaeological research in sub-Saharan Africa where the methods of space syntax now offer new interpretations of the built environment. Traditionally, space syntax uses access analysis graphs for buildings and axial maps for towns to represent and analyze the configuration of space as a network. Using perspectives from neuroscience and the social sciences, this paper presents several case studies to illustrate how space syntax can be adapted to provide a multisensory “synaesthetic” perspective on African urban environments while also addressing their cultural contexts. These case studies, which focus on historic towns from East and West Africa, incorporate analyses of visibility and movement as tactile perception to examine house layout, street networks, and the socio-spatial role of urban quarters. This demonstrates how the graphic representation of space syntax analyses can help us better understand spatial partitioning and material dimensions of urban space as cultural heritage that affects sensory perceptions such as vision and kinaesthetics.
This paper develops the notion that the structure of residential spaces
has long been in a dialo... more This paper develops the notion that the structure of residential spaces
has long been in a dialogue with social environments. It elaborates theoretical
and methodological streams in the social sciences that focus on
the interplay between society and the built environment. Space, rather
than the built environment that articulates its structure, is subjected
to analyses and conceptual interpretations relevant to the understanding
of past constructed worlds. Although intangible and abstract, it is
argued that space represents a type of material culture that could be
studied through the use of the theory of affordances. We compare the
layout of selected stone residences of various sizes that have been
recorded in precolonial Swahili settlements at Gede, Kenya, and the
Kilwa archipelago, Tanzania. To this end, we apply several methods of
spatial analysis to reveal patterning in possible movements of people,
and both physical and sensory access in buildings. The main goal of
the paper is to derive an understanding of how these buildings helped
to shape social values, and how they played a role in negotiation of
multiple social interests, power, and trade relations among members of
an urban society. The results highlight how material constructions like
houses may channel social actions by reflecting contemporary social
conventions. The argument also shows in what ways the unique
nature of African urban heritage may be viewed, so that it could lend
itself to cross-regional comparisons. The observations presented contribute
to a broader discussion on the importance of interdisciplinary
enquiry into the long history of African indigenous architecture.
This paper reviews published research on Swahili pillar tombs, as a specific
type of tombs built... more This paper reviews published research on Swahili pillar tombs, as a specific
type of tombs built of stone, by summarising records on almost fifty sites
on the east coast of Africa. Dated to the 13th–16th centuries AD, the pillar
tombs represented a core component of Swahili urban space. By
considering their spatial setting, characteristics and comparative case
studies from Africa and the Indian Ocean world, the paper reconsiders how
pillar tombs might have functioned as a type of material infrastructure for
creating social ties and notions of shared identity in a society that has never
formally united.
Present-day West African towns allow us to study how urban space developed in this region. The ur... more Present-day West African towns allow us to study how urban space developed in this region. The urban street networks and layout of residential quarters to some extent preserve the possible movement patterns of pre-colonial urbanites. Long-distance trade, in what is ultimately a liminal and transitory locale, linked the urban nodes on the “coast” of the Sahara. This article takes a closer look on the distribution of streets and quarters as a unique kind of material heritage, as well as major trade routes, which linked into the towns. Analyses of the historic towns of Timbuktu and Djenne in Mali are used to demonstrate how the relationships between trade and urban residents were enacted in space. The structuring of the two towns put them in context with the tradition of dual settlements in West Africa, also finding parallels with the role of urban quarters in merchant towns of the East African coast.
Every paradigm in the history of archaeological theory has in some way dealt with space in interp... more Every paradigm in the history of archaeological theory has in some way dealt with space in interpreting the archaeological record; either bringing it into the spotlight or using it to assist description of other observed phenomena. This has resulted in a varied range of approaches to space, but also brought with it inherent problems. Paradigms once regarded as incompatible are now reconciled in mutual coexistence, but maintain little dialogue. Certain methods of spatial analyses have begun to be used as theory-neutral, and space often remains implicitly studied using methods as a set of tools, without exploration of adequate theory. The goal of this paper is to present a perspective on how archaeologists may proceed in order to apply both analytical methods to seek patterns in the past and interpret past constructed space. Although space is an intangible entity, it is argued it may be seen as a human-made material culture that plays an active role in social processes. As a case study, I contrast the advantages and shortcomings of several archaeological studies concerned with the spatial structure of the Swahili house. It is argued that we need to actively engage approaches that reveal quantifiable patterns in the built environment, as well as consult more relativistic issues of perception, sensory experience, and social production and consumption of space.
Using a set of structural and network analysis approaches, this paper focuses on the monumental s... more Using a set of structural and network analysis approaches, this paper focuses on the monumental structure known as ‘the Palace’ at the Swahili stone town site of Gede, located near the Kenya coast. Gede is one of many stone towns that flourished on the East African littoral from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries AD. The ‘Palace complex’ is the largest building on site and developed in at least three stages within the last 100–150 years of the site’s occupation. Its palatial function has so far been considered mainly in light of its monumentality and relative size, hence on the basis of its formal properties. This article utilises approaches that examine the spatial structure of the complex, offering an analysis of its spatial organisation by studying its inherent potential in terms of movement and visibility. The interpretation of the social logic of its development presented here is based on access and visibility analyses and on network analysis and thus connects methodologies developed in the 1980s with those that have started to be more widely discussed only within the last decade. The results reveal how the configuration and use of rooms, their place in the communication network within the building and their social potential changed through time.
The potential of formal and informal methods of spatial analysis on medieval village sites, 2010
The article summarises the development and preferential use of formal and informal methods
for t... more The article summarises the development and preferential use of formal and informal methods
for the study of specific archaeological contexts. It evaluates how these two approaches
that have so often stood in opposition can be used on the archaeological sites of deserted
medieval villages. The villages of Mstěnice and Pfaffenschlag are presented as case studies
and on these it is demonstrated how e.g. visibility analysis can be used to reveal new facts
and offer new perspectives on the interpretation of space and architecture routinely found
on medieval village sites.
Narrating the past: archaeological epistemology, explanation and communication, 2023
Town walls are an important feature of urbanism around the globe, representing boundaries and dem... more Town walls are an important feature of urbanism around the globe, representing boundaries and demarcating connecting routes that enclose and divide space. This paper presents a case study of town walls from sub-Saharan Africa, which can contribute to global archaeological narratives explaining the meaning of the urban built environment. From pre-colonial times to the colonial era, some of the most prominent Swahili towns on the East coast of Africa featured low town walls, a tradition in the built environment that was maintained for centuries before disappearing with colonialism. Although decidedly non-monumental compared to the rest of the pre-colonial urban space and virtually ignored by the written accounts, the town walls represent an important type of otherwise rare public construction project known from the extensive cultural region of today’s coastal East Africa. So far, the function of the Swahili town walls has been mainly studied using archaeological approaches and interpreted using two types of hypotheses – either defensive or having some kind of “symbolic” meaning. Because the defensive role of these low walls is increasingly viewed as less likely, this paper explores what new interdisciplinary considerations could be brought into the debate. I aim to demonstrate how the archaeological narrative of their symbolic purpose comes short of providing more detailed answers and how the concept can be elaborated further by employing sociological considerations of behaviour, especially in context with trade and urbanism typical for the Swahili coast. Focusing on the concepts of social norms and trust known from sociology, the presented argument highlights how we may improve our understanding of the role of this urban feature, specifically showing how the walls channelled movement and affected the bodily experience of social power and visual understanding of the past Swahili towns.
For the last century, archaeologists have surveyed and studied sites on the Swahili coast of East... more For the last century, archaeologists have surveyed and studied sites on the Swahili coast of East Africa, that represent the remains of past Swahili settlements and, in few cases, living historical towns. This paper is the first discussion of a collection of the names under which these past towns have been known, some of which may date back to the precolonial period. The present enquiry is concerned with the analysis of linguistic features, folk etymology and the conceptual content of these toponyms. It considers the recognised important themes in archaeology and history of the Swahili society, such as the political functioning of these towns as city states and the attested social and economic relevance of trade, the built environment and the role of the ocean. Utilising this knowledge, it reflects on how the names contributed to place-making and defining the identity of these towns both as individual entities and as part of the Swahili cultural sphere. The interdisciplinary approach and perspectives (linguistic and archaeological) help to elucidate the connection between the socio-historical relevance of these sites and their cultural conceptualisations.
In 2021, a survey of two sites, known as Jumba la Mtwana and Mnarani in Kenya took place, which d... more In 2021, a survey of two sites, known as Jumba la Mtwana and Mnarani in Kenya took place, which date between the 14 th and 16 th centuries CE. The sites represent some of the Swahili towns on the East African coast that were in the precolonial period taking part in trade along the coastline, to inland Africa and as far as the Middle East, India, and China. Today, the sites feature standing remains of various architectural features constructed of coral rag, a local type of limestone. This paper reports on a high-definition survey, which for the first time documented the entirety of the standing remains, spatial layout, and a configuration of these predominantly Islamic towns. The survey was conducted using a combination of 3D scanning technologies and photography, aimed at achieving two goals-documenting the state of preservation of the architectural remains and, perhaps more importantly, answering research questions in Swahili archaeology pertaining to the organisation of the urban constructed space. The preliminary results show that data from the conducted survey bring new information on the life-cycles of mosque architecture or on the construction of exterior urban space, contributing to the discussion on the existence and organisation of streets.
The tropical urbanism of coastal East Africa has a thousand-year-long history, making it a recogn... more The tropical urbanism of coastal East Africa has a thousand-year-long history, making it a recognized example of sustainable urbanism. Although economically dependent on trade, the precolonial Islamic towns of the so-called Swahili coast did not feature markets or other public buildings dedicated to mercantile activities before the European colonial involvement. In this regard, Swahili urban tradition differed from other tropical Islamic cities, such as in Morocco, Mali, Egypt or the Middle East, where markets fulfilled the role of social and economic hubs and, in terms of movement, major transitory/meeting spaces in the trading towns. Yet, the Swahili urban tradition thrived for centuries as a well-connected cosmopolitan type of tropical urbanism. As research has suggested, the public role of spaces associated with trade might have been fulfilled by houses. Using approaches of space syntax and network analysis, this article studies the morphology of the houses considering whether it could have been the courtyards that simulated the role of markets thanks to their transitory spatial configuration. The results are discussed reflecting on other models of houses with courtyards, especially the modern Swahili house appearing later in the colonial era when markets began to be established, and Islamic houses known from elsewhere.
Prace se zabýva těžbou nerostných surovin v kontextu zaniklých středověkých vesnic. Terenni výzku... more Prace se zabýva těžbou nerostných surovin v kontextu zaniklých středověkých vesnic. Terenni výzkum zaměřený na ziskani poznatků na toto tema proběhl ve dvou přikladových oblastech v okresech Rokycany a Plzeň - jih. Povrchový průzkum doplněný drobnou sondaži těžebnich arealů a průzkumem s detektorem kovů se soustředil výlucně na lesni prostředi. Průběh a výsledky výzkumu byly srovnavany se situaci v dalsich evropských zemich. Bylo zjistěno, že v kontextu se zaniklými středověkými vesnicemi v daných oblastech probihala povrchova těžba železne rudy a jeji zuslechťovani v podobě roztloukani a praženi. Lze soudit, že těžba nerostných surovin v pozdnim středověku doplňovala zemědělstvi v ekonomicke zakladně řady vesnic, ackoli z historických pramenů se o těchto aktivitach nedozvidame. Výzkum přinesl rovněž poznatky významne vseobecně pro výzkum středověkých vesnic, těžebnich arealů, a pro povrchový průzkum v lesnim prostředi.
The conference represents an important stepping-stone in the cooperation of the Czech Centre for ... more The conference represents an important stepping-stone in the cooperation of the Czech Centre for African Studies based at the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, where the conference was organized, and the Addis Ababa University in Ethiopia. It was also a continuation of a series of previous meetings and an exhibition (20th century Revisited: Relations between former Czechoslovakia and Ethiopia) that had been on show from October 1st to November 30th at the Ethnographic Museum of Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia. Africa Days 2015 (2nd Ethio-Czech Conference on Africa) was the fourth event of its kind organized or co-organized by the Centre of African Studies in Pilsen since 2013. Last year, the 1st Central European African Studies Conference was hosted in Pilsen, and later that year, the 1st Ethio-Czech Conference on Africa was co-organized by Jimma University (Ethiopia) and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen (Czech Republic).
The paper addresses the current need for expanding ways to understand and research aspects of urb... more The paper addresses the current need for expanding ways to understand and research aspects of urban sustainability, which are related to the social environment. Sustainability of living historic cities is related to, among other factors, their socio-spatial structure and relationships. For past urban contexts, these mostly intangible characteristics can be studied by analyses of the material aspects of urban space, which have been shaped over the long term. Shifting our focus from the preserved buildings and collections of finds onto space and spatial configurations in their own right may bring new revelations about the dynamics of the urban layouts, street networks and sensory environment. Urban streets and open spaces, specifically, may be analysed as a record of past preferences for movement patterns that are part of the sensory environment in each settlement. In this paper, urban kinesthetics are viewed as a component of social traditions and cultural heritage, and it is analysed how materially constituted networks and characteristics of the sensory environment may have contributed to the long-term social sustainability of urban settlements. As case studies, the East African towns of Mombasa, Kenya and Mozambique Island, Mozambique, represent living historical towns and sites of cultural heritage, and symbolise urban growth on a historical background reaching to the precolonial era. It is shown how the built environment of these towns have affected capacity for movement in the urban space and how movement was channelled in the urban environment. It is argued that while it is more common to understand urban architectural heritage as a collection of preserved buildings with a certain set of characteristics, adding a spatial dimension to archaeological interpretations of the built environment can aid producing relevant considerations for shaping the future of cities.
The organization of past urban space continues to be an important focus of archaeological researc... more The organization of past urban space continues to be an important focus of archaeological research in sub-Saharan Africa where the methods of space syntax now offer new interpretations of the built environment. Traditionally, space syntax uses access analysis graphs for buildings and axial maps for towns to represent and analyze the configuration of space as a network. Using perspectives from neuroscience and the social sciences, this paper presents several case studies to illustrate how space syntax can be adapted to provide a multisensory “synaesthetic” perspective on African urban environments while also addressing their cultural contexts. These case studies, which focus on historic towns from East and West Africa, incorporate analyses of visibility and movement as tactile perception to examine house layout, street networks, and the socio-spatial role of urban quarters. This demonstrates how the graphic representation of space syntax analyses can help us better understand spatial partitioning and material dimensions of urban space as cultural heritage that affects sensory perceptions such as vision and kinaesthetics.
This paper develops the notion that the structure of residential spaces
has long been in a dialo... more This paper develops the notion that the structure of residential spaces
has long been in a dialogue with social environments. It elaborates theoretical
and methodological streams in the social sciences that focus on
the interplay between society and the built environment. Space, rather
than the built environment that articulates its structure, is subjected
to analyses and conceptual interpretations relevant to the understanding
of past constructed worlds. Although intangible and abstract, it is
argued that space represents a type of material culture that could be
studied through the use of the theory of affordances. We compare the
layout of selected stone residences of various sizes that have been
recorded in precolonial Swahili settlements at Gede, Kenya, and the
Kilwa archipelago, Tanzania. To this end, we apply several methods of
spatial analysis to reveal patterning in possible movements of people,
and both physical and sensory access in buildings. The main goal of
the paper is to derive an understanding of how these buildings helped
to shape social values, and how they played a role in negotiation of
multiple social interests, power, and trade relations among members of
an urban society. The results highlight how material constructions like
houses may channel social actions by reflecting contemporary social
conventions. The argument also shows in what ways the unique
nature of African urban heritage may be viewed, so that it could lend
itself to cross-regional comparisons. The observations presented contribute
to a broader discussion on the importance of interdisciplinary
enquiry into the long history of African indigenous architecture.
This paper reviews published research on Swahili pillar tombs, as a specific
type of tombs built... more This paper reviews published research on Swahili pillar tombs, as a specific
type of tombs built of stone, by summarising records on almost fifty sites
on the east coast of Africa. Dated to the 13th–16th centuries AD, the pillar
tombs represented a core component of Swahili urban space. By
considering their spatial setting, characteristics and comparative case
studies from Africa and the Indian Ocean world, the paper reconsiders how
pillar tombs might have functioned as a type of material infrastructure for
creating social ties and notions of shared identity in a society that has never
formally united.
Present-day West African towns allow us to study how urban space developed in this region. The ur... more Present-day West African towns allow us to study how urban space developed in this region. The urban street networks and layout of residential quarters to some extent preserve the possible movement patterns of pre-colonial urbanites. Long-distance trade, in what is ultimately a liminal and transitory locale, linked the urban nodes on the “coast” of the Sahara. This article takes a closer look on the distribution of streets and quarters as a unique kind of material heritage, as well as major trade routes, which linked into the towns. Analyses of the historic towns of Timbuktu and Djenne in Mali are used to demonstrate how the relationships between trade and urban residents were enacted in space. The structuring of the two towns put them in context with the tradition of dual settlements in West Africa, also finding parallels with the role of urban quarters in merchant towns of the East African coast.
Every paradigm in the history of archaeological theory has in some way dealt with space in interp... more Every paradigm in the history of archaeological theory has in some way dealt with space in interpreting the archaeological record; either bringing it into the spotlight or using it to assist description of other observed phenomena. This has resulted in a varied range of approaches to space, but also brought with it inherent problems. Paradigms once regarded as incompatible are now reconciled in mutual coexistence, but maintain little dialogue. Certain methods of spatial analyses have begun to be used as theory-neutral, and space often remains implicitly studied using methods as a set of tools, without exploration of adequate theory. The goal of this paper is to present a perspective on how archaeologists may proceed in order to apply both analytical methods to seek patterns in the past and interpret past constructed space. Although space is an intangible entity, it is argued it may be seen as a human-made material culture that plays an active role in social processes. As a case study, I contrast the advantages and shortcomings of several archaeological studies concerned with the spatial structure of the Swahili house. It is argued that we need to actively engage approaches that reveal quantifiable patterns in the built environment, as well as consult more relativistic issues of perception, sensory experience, and social production and consumption of space.
Using a set of structural and network analysis approaches, this paper focuses on the monumental s... more Using a set of structural and network analysis approaches, this paper focuses on the monumental structure known as ‘the Palace’ at the Swahili stone town site of Gede, located near the Kenya coast. Gede is one of many stone towns that flourished on the East African littoral from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries AD. The ‘Palace complex’ is the largest building on site and developed in at least three stages within the last 100–150 years of the site’s occupation. Its palatial function has so far been considered mainly in light of its monumentality and relative size, hence on the basis of its formal properties. This article utilises approaches that examine the spatial structure of the complex, offering an analysis of its spatial organisation by studying its inherent potential in terms of movement and visibility. The interpretation of the social logic of its development presented here is based on access and visibility analyses and on network analysis and thus connects methodologies developed in the 1980s with those that have started to be more widely discussed only within the last decade. The results reveal how the configuration and use of rooms, their place in the communication network within the building and their social potential changed through time.
The potential of formal and informal methods of spatial analysis on medieval village sites, 2010
The article summarises the development and preferential use of formal and informal methods
for t... more The article summarises the development and preferential use of formal and informal methods
for the study of specific archaeological contexts. It evaluates how these two approaches
that have so often stood in opposition can be used on the archaeological sites of deserted
medieval villages. The villages of Mstěnice and Pfaffenschlag are presented as case studies
and on these it is demonstrated how e.g. visibility analysis can be used to reveal new facts
and offer new perspectives on the interpretation of space and architecture routinely found
on medieval village sites.
Narrating the past: archaeological epistemology, explanation and communication, 2023
Town walls are an important feature of urbanism around the globe, representing boundaries and dem... more Town walls are an important feature of urbanism around the globe, representing boundaries and demarcating connecting routes that enclose and divide space. This paper presents a case study of town walls from sub-Saharan Africa, which can contribute to global archaeological narratives explaining the meaning of the urban built environment. From pre-colonial times to the colonial era, some of the most prominent Swahili towns on the East coast of Africa featured low town walls, a tradition in the built environment that was maintained for centuries before disappearing with colonialism. Although decidedly non-monumental compared to the rest of the pre-colonial urban space and virtually ignored by the written accounts, the town walls represent an important type of otherwise rare public construction project known from the extensive cultural region of today’s coastal East Africa. So far, the function of the Swahili town walls has been mainly studied using archaeological approaches and interpreted using two types of hypotheses – either defensive or having some kind of “symbolic” meaning. Because the defensive role of these low walls is increasingly viewed as less likely, this paper explores what new interdisciplinary considerations could be brought into the debate. I aim to demonstrate how the archaeological narrative of their symbolic purpose comes short of providing more detailed answers and how the concept can be elaborated further by employing sociological considerations of behaviour, especially in context with trade and urbanism typical for the Swahili coast. Focusing on the concepts of social norms and trust known from sociology, the presented argument highlights how we may improve our understanding of the role of this urban feature, specifically showing how the walls channelled movement and affected the bodily experience of social power and visual understanding of the past Swahili towns.
This paper develops the notion that the structure of residential spaces has long been in a dialog... more This paper develops the notion that the structure of residential spaces has long been in a dialogue with social environments. It elaborates theoretical and methodological streams in the social sciences that focus on the interplay between society and the built environment. Space, rather than the built environment that articulates its structure, is subjected to analyses and conceptual interpretations relevant to the understanding of past constructed worlds. Although intangible and abstract, it is argued that space represents a type of material culture that could be studied through the use of the theory of affordances. We compare the layout of selected stone residences of various sizes that have been recorded in precolonial Swahili settlements at Gede, Kenya, and the Kilwa archipelago, Tanzania. To this end, we apply several methods of spatial analysis to reveal patterning in possible movements of people, and both physical and sensory access in buildings. The main goal of the paper is ...
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space syntax now offer new interpretations of the built environment. Traditionally, space syntax uses access analysis graphs for buildings and axial maps for towns to represent and analyze the configuration of space as a network. Using perspectives from neuroscience and the social sciences, this paper presents several case studies to illustrate how space syntax can be adapted to provide a multisensory “synaesthetic” perspective
on African urban environments while also addressing their cultural contexts. These case studies, which focus on historic towns from East and West Africa, incorporate analyses of visibility and movement as tactile
perception to examine house layout, street networks, and the socio-spatial role of urban quarters. This demonstrates how the graphic representation of space syntax analyses can help us better understand spatial partitioning and material dimensions of urban space as cultural heritage that affects sensory perceptions such as vision and kinaesthetics.
has long been in a dialogue with social environments. It elaborates theoretical
and methodological streams in the social sciences that focus on
the interplay between society and the built environment. Space, rather
than the built environment that articulates its structure, is subjected
to analyses and conceptual interpretations relevant to the understanding
of past constructed worlds. Although intangible and abstract, it is
argued that space represents a type of material culture that could be
studied through the use of the theory of affordances. We compare the
layout of selected stone residences of various sizes that have been
recorded in precolonial Swahili settlements at Gede, Kenya, and the
Kilwa archipelago, Tanzania. To this end, we apply several methods of
spatial analysis to reveal patterning in possible movements of people,
and both physical and sensory access in buildings. The main goal of
the paper is to derive an understanding of how these buildings helped
to shape social values, and how they played a role in negotiation of
multiple social interests, power, and trade relations among members of
an urban society. The results highlight how material constructions like
houses may channel social actions by reflecting contemporary social
conventions. The argument also shows in what ways the unique
nature of African urban heritage may be viewed, so that it could lend
itself to cross-regional comparisons. The observations presented contribute
to a broader discussion on the importance of interdisciplinary
enquiry into the long history of African indigenous architecture.
type of tombs built of stone, by summarising records on almost fifty sites
on the east coast of Africa. Dated to the 13th–16th centuries AD, the pillar
tombs represented a core component of Swahili urban space. By
considering their spatial setting, characteristics and comparative case
studies from Africa and the Indian Ocean world, the paper reconsiders how
pillar tombs might have functioned as a type of material infrastructure for
creating social ties and notions of shared identity in a society that has never
formally united.
a liminal and transitory locale, linked the urban nodes on the “coast” of the Sahara. This article takes a closer look on the distribution of streets and quarters as a unique kind of material heritage, as well as major trade routes, which linked into the towns. Analyses of the historic towns of Timbuktu and Djenne in Mali are used to demonstrate how the relationships between trade and urban residents were enacted in space. The structuring of the two towns put them in context with the tradition of dual settlements in West Africa, also finding parallels with the role
of urban quarters in merchant towns of the East African coast.
as theory-neutral, and space often remains implicitly studied using methods as a set of tools, without exploration of adequate theory.
The goal of this paper is to present a perspective on how archaeologists may proceed in order to apply both analytical methods to seek patterns in the past and interpret past constructed space. Although space is an intangible entity, it is argued it may be seen as a human-made material culture that plays an active role in social processes. As a case study, I contrast the advantages and shortcomings of several archaeological studies concerned with the spatial structure of the Swahili house. It is argued that we need to actively engage approaches that reveal quantifiable patterns in the built environment, as well as consult more relativistic issues of perception, sensory experience, and social production and consumption of space.
Swahili stone town site of Gede, located near the Kenya coast.
Gede is one of many stone towns that flourished on the East
African littoral from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries AD.
The ‘Palace complex’ is the largest building on site and developed
in at least three stages within the last 100–150 years of the site’s
occupation. Its palatial function has so far been considered mainly
in light of its monumentality and relative size, hence on the basis
of its formal properties. This article utilises approaches that
examine the spatial structure of the complex, offering an analysis
of its spatial organisation by studying its inherent potential in
terms of movement and visibility. The interpretation of the social
logic of its development presented here is based on access and
visibility analyses and on network analysis and thus connects
methodologies developed in the 1980s with those that have
started to be more widely discussed only within the last decade.
The results reveal how the configuration and use of rooms, their
place in the communication network within the building and their
social potential changed through time.
for the study of specific archaeological contexts. It evaluates how these two approaches
that have so often stood in opposition can be used on the archaeological sites of deserted
medieval villages. The villages of Mstěnice and Pfaffenschlag are presented as case studies
and on these it is demonstrated how e.g. visibility analysis can be used to reveal new facts
and offer new perspectives on the interpretation of space and architecture routinely found
on medieval village sites.
Book Reviews
Book Chapters
space syntax now offer new interpretations of the built environment. Traditionally, space syntax uses access analysis graphs for buildings and axial maps for towns to represent and analyze the configuration of space as a network. Using perspectives from neuroscience and the social sciences, this paper presents several case studies to illustrate how space syntax can be adapted to provide a multisensory “synaesthetic” perspective
on African urban environments while also addressing their cultural contexts. These case studies, which focus on historic towns from East and West Africa, incorporate analyses of visibility and movement as tactile
perception to examine house layout, street networks, and the socio-spatial role of urban quarters. This demonstrates how the graphic representation of space syntax analyses can help us better understand spatial partitioning and material dimensions of urban space as cultural heritage that affects sensory perceptions such as vision and kinaesthetics.
has long been in a dialogue with social environments. It elaborates theoretical
and methodological streams in the social sciences that focus on
the interplay between society and the built environment. Space, rather
than the built environment that articulates its structure, is subjected
to analyses and conceptual interpretations relevant to the understanding
of past constructed worlds. Although intangible and abstract, it is
argued that space represents a type of material culture that could be
studied through the use of the theory of affordances. We compare the
layout of selected stone residences of various sizes that have been
recorded in precolonial Swahili settlements at Gede, Kenya, and the
Kilwa archipelago, Tanzania. To this end, we apply several methods of
spatial analysis to reveal patterning in possible movements of people,
and both physical and sensory access in buildings. The main goal of
the paper is to derive an understanding of how these buildings helped
to shape social values, and how they played a role in negotiation of
multiple social interests, power, and trade relations among members of
an urban society. The results highlight how material constructions like
houses may channel social actions by reflecting contemporary social
conventions. The argument also shows in what ways the unique
nature of African urban heritage may be viewed, so that it could lend
itself to cross-regional comparisons. The observations presented contribute
to a broader discussion on the importance of interdisciplinary
enquiry into the long history of African indigenous architecture.
type of tombs built of stone, by summarising records on almost fifty sites
on the east coast of Africa. Dated to the 13th–16th centuries AD, the pillar
tombs represented a core component of Swahili urban space. By
considering their spatial setting, characteristics and comparative case
studies from Africa and the Indian Ocean world, the paper reconsiders how
pillar tombs might have functioned as a type of material infrastructure for
creating social ties and notions of shared identity in a society that has never
formally united.
a liminal and transitory locale, linked the urban nodes on the “coast” of the Sahara. This article takes a closer look on the distribution of streets and quarters as a unique kind of material heritage, as well as major trade routes, which linked into the towns. Analyses of the historic towns of Timbuktu and Djenne in Mali are used to demonstrate how the relationships between trade and urban residents were enacted in space. The structuring of the two towns put them in context with the tradition of dual settlements in West Africa, also finding parallels with the role
of urban quarters in merchant towns of the East African coast.
as theory-neutral, and space often remains implicitly studied using methods as a set of tools, without exploration of adequate theory.
The goal of this paper is to present a perspective on how archaeologists may proceed in order to apply both analytical methods to seek patterns in the past and interpret past constructed space. Although space is an intangible entity, it is argued it may be seen as a human-made material culture that plays an active role in social processes. As a case study, I contrast the advantages and shortcomings of several archaeological studies concerned with the spatial structure of the Swahili house. It is argued that we need to actively engage approaches that reveal quantifiable patterns in the built environment, as well as consult more relativistic issues of perception, sensory experience, and social production and consumption of space.
Swahili stone town site of Gede, located near the Kenya coast.
Gede is one of many stone towns that flourished on the East
African littoral from the thirteenth to the sixteenth centuries AD.
The ‘Palace complex’ is the largest building on site and developed
in at least three stages within the last 100–150 years of the site’s
occupation. Its palatial function has so far been considered mainly
in light of its monumentality and relative size, hence on the basis
of its formal properties. This article utilises approaches that
examine the spatial structure of the complex, offering an analysis
of its spatial organisation by studying its inherent potential in
terms of movement and visibility. The interpretation of the social
logic of its development presented here is based on access and
visibility analyses and on network analysis and thus connects
methodologies developed in the 1980s with those that have
started to be more widely discussed only within the last decade.
The results reveal how the configuration and use of rooms, their
place in the communication network within the building and their
social potential changed through time.
for the study of specific archaeological contexts. It evaluates how these two approaches
that have so often stood in opposition can be used on the archaeological sites of deserted
medieval villages. The villages of Mstěnice and Pfaffenschlag are presented as case studies
and on these it is demonstrated how e.g. visibility analysis can be used to reveal new facts
and offer new perspectives on the interpretation of space and architecture routinely found
on medieval village sites.