By JohnThomas Didymus

1,000-year-old copper coins from Kilwa Sultanate, East Africa found in Australia

Five copper coins thought to have originated in the East African Kilwa Sultanate (modern Tanzania), which date back to the early 900s, were discovered on the Wessel Islands off the north coast of Australia in 1944.

The coins are causing excitement among historians because they suggest that other seafaring peoples had discovered Australia 600 years before Captain James Cook. Although aboriginal Australians are thought to have arrived in Australia by boat from the Malay Archipelago between 40,000 and 60,000 years ago, the mainstream text of history claims that the Dutch navigators and later the English sailor Captain Cook “discovered” Australia. The first European landing on Australia is credited to Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon, who sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606 and landed on 26 February at the Pennefather River near Weipa on Cape York. A few years later, another Dutch navigator Dirk Hartog, reached the Island. William Dampier was the first English navigator to arrive in Australia, He landed on the north-west coast in 1688 and again in 1699. In 1770, James Cook explored the east coast which he named South Wales and claimed it for the English crown. Spaniard adventurer Luiz Vaez de Torres, discovered the strait between Papua New Guinea and Australia which was named Torres Strait in his honor. The British Government sent a fleet of ships under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip to establish a penal colony at Botany Bay in January 1788.

McIntosh points to where the copper coins were found on the map

The Kilwa Sultanate

However, the coins linked to the East African Kilwa Sultanate suggest that other seafaring peoples had discovered Australia at least six centuries before the first European sailors. But another theory suggests that the coins may have been washed ashore from a shipwreck. According to the Courier Mail, the site of the Kilwa Sultanate in Tanzania is a World Heritage ruin. Kilwa was a Medieval Sultanate whose territory covered the entire length of the East African Swahili Coast. It was a flourishing trade port with links to India from the 13th to the 16th century. Trade in gold, silver, pearls, perfumes, Arabian stone ware, Persian ceramics and Chinese porcelain flourished along the East African coast until Kilwa was overthrown by the Portuguese in 1505, the Courier Mailreports. The sultanate produced the oldest known copper coins in sub-Saharan Africa.

Archaeologists have long believed there might have been a maritime link between East Africa, Arabia, India, the Spice Islands and China. According to McIntosh: “This trade route was already very active, a very long period of time ago, and this may evidence of that early exploration by peoples from East Africa, or from the Middle East.”

Expedition to Australia According to the IUPUI, Australian researcher Ian McIntosh, Professor of Anthropology at Indiana University, is planning an expedition to the place where the five coins were found in the Northern Territory in 1944. An Australian soldier Maurie Isenberg, found the coins in 1944 while manning a radar station at one of the Wessel Islands, a group of Islands off Australia’s north coast. He found the coins while sitting in the sand on the beach. Although he had no idea where the coins came from or how old they were, he kept them in a tin and forgot about them until in 1979 when he sent them to a museum for identification. Experts identified them as 1,000 years old and asked him to mark “X” on a map where he had found them. He also found four other coins which were confirmed to be Dutch East Indian company coins dating back to 1690. Curiously, the map and the coins were forgotten until McIntosh rediscovered them a few months ago and confirmed they were from the East African Kilwa Sultanate.

The questions McIntosh and a team of Australian and American historians, archaeologists and geomorpholosgists hope to answer when they investigate the site where the coins were found include: How did they get there? Were they brought to the island by non-European explorers or were they accidentally washed ashore from a shipwreck? What sort of contact, if any, existed between the explorers and local Aboriginal populations? The team will also be looking for a cave mentioned in Aboriginal legends. The cave, said to be close to the beach where Isenberg found the coins, may contain ancient artifacts. If the team is able to locate the cave, they may uncover a new wealth of knowledge about the history of Australia before the first Europeans arrived.

Interesting!!!

Love to hear your thoughts.

Regards

Tania Bale

African Art Online.Com

How about this for creativity!!

Comment if you agree :)

Photo compliments from Tanzania Facebook page.

Regards

African Art Online.Com

Our vibrant new African Batiks have arrived!

Vibrant, exciting colors and designs to brighten up anyone’s day.

The new batik collection was hand crafted in Arusha, East Africa.

Each piece truly unique.

No fuss ready to hang, framed or unframed.

To view our fabulous African Batik Art, head on over here

There is beautiful children’s batiks to enhance their room or playroom.

P.S. If you would like to enter the draw to win your very own African Batik, just fill in your details in the form to the right of this page.

Every month one lucky winner will be drawn.

Good luck and see you there.

Join us on FaceBook for all our updates and special deals.

Regards

Tania Bale

African Art Online.Com

Congratulations to Charlene Parham our African batik winner for April 2013.

If you would like to be in the draw to win an African candle wax batik, simply fill in your details on the right of this page.

Every month we will draw one winner for the rest of 2013.

Once you have filled in your details, that is all that is required to stay in the draw for 2013.

These batiks are beautifully hand crafted from Tanzania.

They look stunning framed or unframed, and will add a unique addition to your home or office.

See you on the other side.

Good luck.

Tania Bale

African Art Online.Com

Meserani Snake Park is located in Tanzania, East Africa.

The snake park is located 25km west of Arusha on the route to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro crater.

Meserani Snake Park provides a free medical health clinic, with over a 1000 patients per month and rising. The clinic treats many medical emergencies, a common issue is treatment for infections and snakebites.

The clinic employs two-full time nurses. The clinic is open 24 /7, 365 days a year.

The owner operators of Meserani Snake Park Berry and Lynn Bale pay for all the salaries and medical supplies.

A physician assistant and a paramedic, both from Prineville, became friends with Wade Bale and learned about the Meserani Snake Park. They visited the facility two years’ ago and agreed with the Bales that a new clinic was needed to better serve the area, as the existing facility was much too small, not adequately supplied and too far away from the Snake Park itself. Upon returning to Central Oregon, these two, along with Wade Bale, his wife, Susan, and others who had also visited the Snake Park, formed  Mbuyu Charities. The word comes from the local dialect, meaning “Baobab,” a tree that is plentiful in the area. This tree is often called “The Tree of Life,” and it is the goal of the organization to be able to provide hope and life to people living in the Meserani region.

Thanks to generous contributors, the Bales were presented with a $4,000 gift to begin construction of a new clinic.  Since Berry Bale is also an engineer, plans were formulated and construction began quickly, using the Maasai as laborers. Nevertheless, this first influx of funds covers only about 1/3 of the total cost of construction.

The current clinic is now housing five orphans as well as caring for close to 50 patients a day. This is a project that needs to be finished, not only to provide for better and more centrally located medical care, but so that the old clinic can be transformed into an orphanage.

Mbuyu Charities sent a team of medical professional to Tanzania, please view the video.

Part 1

Part 2

The Tanzania trip was very successful, they treated over 1000 patients and one baby Elephant.

Through your support Meserani Snake Park has been able to move forward and provide the local people with a better quality of life.

Meserani Snake Park and Mbuyu Charities is greatly thankful.

Puff Adder Bite

Fabulous job from everyone. Keep up the great work.

Tania Bale

African Art Online.Com

Tingatinga Art is primarily produced and sold in Tanzania. Although some artists are traveling and starting to take their art further a field.

It all started with a man called Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga, born in 1932 in a Namochelia village (which does not exist today). It was near Mindu and Nakapanya village, ca 70 km east of Tunduru town.

Eduardo Saidi Tingatinga was a self taught painter, with only 4 years of primary school education. He was just starting to receive recognition for his square board-paintings, when his life was cut short in 1972, he was mistaken for a fleeing thief and fatally shot by the police. Before he died he started to attracted young followers wanting to imitate his style. Today Tingatinga thrives. You will never see massed produced Tingatinga Art.

Please visit us to view a wonderful collection of original Tingatinga Art.

Regards

Tania Bale

African Art Online.Com

View Chidi Okoye Nigerian Artist amazing art collection.

Nigerian born, Chidi A. Okoye graduated with a distinction in sculpture (Higher National Diploma) from the Institute of Management and Technology in Enugu, Nigeria, in 1988. For the next six years he taught sculpture and drawing at Federal Polytechnic Oko Anambra State Nigeria. During this period, he created an outstanding collection, not only sculpting, but painting and writing as well. In Nigeria, He had his national solo exhibition “Textures of Life” and launching of his book “Lamentation” at national museum Lagos in 1993 sponsored by Mobil Producing Nigeria. Okoye is as famous for his poetry as for his painting and sculpture.

In 1994 Okoye moved to Vancouver, Canada, where he immediately became involved in a number of projects promoting international artistic exchange and was a leading light in the local Black creative community. Okoye believes that his art offers him a chance of relating to his environment, complementing the beauty of nature with man-made forms and images, which spring from his ancestral culture. He combines the strength, uniqueness and dynamism of his heritage with a technically skilled understanding of the power of forms, feeling and materials to create works, which continue to thrill audiences.

The wide appeal of his works seems to lie in its identifiably African approach to colors and lines, but with an ability to turn his distinctive style to a wide rage of subjects. Okoye’s paintings and sculpture have been praised for their capacity to raise awareness of important social-political issues without resorting to militancy.

In 2001 Okoye went to Atlanta where he has been actively involved in the creative art community. He won the first prize, South Fulton County Gallery Best Artist of the year 2002. He has participated in the jury art shows of National Black Art Festival Atlanta from 2002 to 2004. He recently executed Award commission for 2004 Clark Atlanta University ADVANCE Leadership Award. Chidi collaborated with Nelson Mandela in Unity Series in 2004.

Chidi’s original work is available on request.

Please contact African Art Online.Com for further information.
Chidi’s work is truly a work of Art!

Please view Chidi’s work here

Zanzibar for such a small Island it is pouring with history. From ancient Arab and Persian emigrants, wars and revolutions, Sultans, Dr Livingstone, Freddy Mercury and the center of the slave trade.

This is my third trip to Zanzibar, I must say you certainly never get tired of this beautiful historical place.

Zanzibar is where Freddy Mercury was born. His house has since been turned into a gift shop. Thousands of tourists come to visit to see where the famous rock star lived.

Zanzibar Island is divided into two main islands, Pemba and Unguja. The population is approximately 800,000, of which 150,000 are found on Pemba. 95% Muslim, 5% Christian all living in harmony. The language spoken is Swahili. The climate hot and humid. The currency Tanzanian Shillings, although the locals will accept US dollars.

Major Industries on Zanzibar are Tourism, Spices and Fishing.

The old part of Stone Town is built from rock and Coral from the sea, little did they no about the damage they where causing to their coral reefs. One tiny piece of coral broken off will take up to 60 years to grow back.

Walk threw the narrow streets of Stone Town you will come across the most amazing doors, the big brass knobs on the outside of these doors was to stop the Elephants from leaning on them, luckily there are no Elephants on Zanzibar anymore.

That is a quick overview of Zanzibar, for now I will chat about the famous Spice Tour.

Beautiful aroma’s full the Island. Get a guided tour of Zanzibar’s Spice Island taste and smell the fresh spices.
All the spices are organically grown.

In the western world we use spices and herbs for mostly cooking purposes, not the locals of Zanzibar.

The Island grows a bush called Annatto, looks like a Lychee. From this the local people use it for dye in food and lipstick for the ladies. This is a bright red berry.

Soap Berry Tree is used for washing clothes and washing hair. It is a little brown berry, you open and rub into the water and lather it up in your hair.

Tamarind is a pod, its use making juice, the leaves are boiled and used for asthma in babies.

Cardomon used to spice up food and drinks such as rice, Indian bread, Tea and Coffee.

Ginger they make soda drinks, it is also used for tenderizing meat, and commonly used for sea sickness.

The Almond tree also known as the Umbrella Tree, the local fisherman use for timbers to make their Dhows.

Cloves is the biggest export on Zanzibar. The clove tree grows 10-15cm, they are all hand picked.
They pick the cloves when the bud is green then dry in the sun. They make oil from this for tooth ache, you can boil the clove then drink the water, this will help stop tummy ache.

Pineapple is used for the digestive system.

Cassavi is used to make crisps, it doesn’t look like your traditional crisp, but sure tastes good.

Zanzibar grows chilli’s which they call Pili-Pili ho-ho, the smaller the chilli the hotter.

Henna is picked and dried, grinned to a powder then used to make temporary tattoos.

Paw Paw also called Pa pain is used in the manufacture of chewing gum. Paw Paw is also applied to the skin if you should stand on a sea urchin. Rich in vitamins A&C.

The trunk of the Iodine tree is used to stop bleeding, the locals use this much like we would use a band aid.

Cinnamon is used in cooking, but the most fascinating thing about the cinnamon tree is. If you take the root of the tree it smells just like menthol, so this is commonly used in colds and flus much like vicks.

The root of the Tumaric tree is used for food colouring and dyeing mats.

Passion fruit leaves are boiled, this is to prevent high blood pressure.

Choco beans are sucked just like sweets.

Lemon grass is used as a mosquito repellent.

Kapok looks just like cotton, this is used in the manufacture of pillows and mattresses. The local fisherman also use this for binding up their dhows so they don’t sink.

Nutmeg is used for making alcohol, they also say to much nutmeg will make you hallucinate.
Many more spices are grown on the Island, Lang Lang used for perfumes. Vanilla, Jack Fruit, Bread Fruit Tree, Guara, Coconuts, Bananas, Avocado which they make juice from. And many more.

When your tour is over, relax and try some of the wonderful fruits that are grown on the Island.

Then you can head off to the local gift store and purchase some of the spices and teas you have just heard about.
You can even buy some beautiful soaps, body lotions and perfumes made right on the Island.

This is just one of the great places to visit while in Zanzibar, I was fascinated with the many uses of the spices.
This is one place you should put on your to do list.

Until next time
Kind Regards
Tania Bale
African Art Online

We are on the spice tour

After living in Tanzania for 10 months and traveling back from time to time, I discovered some useful information which may be helpful when traveling to East Africa.

The 5 traveling tips I am referring to are solely based on Tanzania, East Africa; Africa is an extremely large place, so I am not referring to the whole continent.

1.  We all like to travel with some cash on hand. Tanzania’s currency is TZ shillings. American dollars is accepted in most places. The one thing that you may not be aware of that may cause some issues is. All foreign exchange outlets will not accepted any US currency older than the year 2000.The logic behind this is to try and fight counterfeiting. Please check all your American Dollars and save the inconvenience. As a side note credit card vacillates are available but always have plan B.

2.  Tipping in Tanzania is not compulsory but it is expected. If you are willing to tip then please add this cost into your budget. This can become a costly exercise .If you ask for directions, dine out; use public transport any kind of service then you will be expected to tip. If you take a photo of any local Tanzanian, you may be expected to pay. It is wise to always ask permission first. If you choose to tip, how much you tip is entirely up to you.

3.  If you are with a tour company please be aware that your driver or your tour leader will often earn commissions on any purchases you make, such as gift items, activities etc. The places that your driver or tour leader suggests that you go to could possibly be where they earn the best commissions, not necessarily the best option available for you. If possible do your own research before you leave on places you may wish to visit. Don’t be afraid to tell your driver or tour leader on places you may wish to visit.

4.  It is always good when traveling any where in the world to learn a little bit of the local language. In Tanzania the language spoken is Swahili. While most people do speak pretty good English it does pay to know some of the basics in Swahili. It can be to your advantage especially when you are shopping. The local people appreciate that you have taken the time to learn their language.

5.  If you are intending to shop, price haggling is common. You shouldn’t always accept the first price offered. One example of this, I entered a store and was interested in a piece of clothing. I asked how much for the item, the first price offered was $80 US dollars, I declined, I was then offered the item for $60 US dollars, I declined again, as the item was not worth any where close to this amount. I was just about to exit the store when the store owner yelled out okay $10 US dollars. Now that seemed more like it. Keep your wits about you when shopping.

All in all Tanzania is a wonderful and interesting place to visit, friendly people, fantastic game parks,  with a rich and diverse culture. If you do decide to visit Tanzania, I hope you find these tips useful.

Enjoy!!
Kind Regards
Tania Bale
African Art Online.Com