Coins believed to have been minted nearly 3000 years ago, in present-day Tanzania have been discovered in Australia.
This is according to the latest report from the ‘African Australian,’ publication.
The five ancient coins, according to experts, date back to between 800 BCE and 701 BCE and are believed to have been minted in Kilwa along the present-day Tanzanian Coastline, long before these shores got official names.
The five coins from ancient Tanzania (Tanganyika or the Mrima Empire) that have found their way to Australia date back to the period between 8th and 15th century AD.
They were made of copper, silver, and gold and are thought to have been used as trade currency.
Experts have traced them back to Kilwa, in Tanzania.
The discovery of these coins was made on the remote and isolated Wessel Islands off the coast of Northern Territory in Australia.
This new development on old findings has led to speculation that ancient East African traders may have reached the Australian continent long before the arrival of Europeans.
The Kilwa Kisiwani with its ancient capital city located on the coast of Tanzania used to be a very powerful Eastern Africa Empire that controlled the trade of gold, ivory and other valuable goods.
The trade routes originated from the African interior to the Indian Ocean from which long voyages to other overseas destinations commenced.
But researchers in Australia admit that the exact explanation for the presence of these coins remains a mystery, and further research and studies are needed to confirm their origin.
For instance, how did the five coins from distant Kilwa wind up in the isolated Wessel Islands?
Was a shipwreck involved? Could it be that the Portuguese, who had looted Kilwa in 1505, reached the Australian shores with coins from East Africa in their possession?
Or was it that sailors, from Kilwa (Tanzania) renowned as expert navigators all across the sea route between China and Africa, reached Australia with the coins?
Did the travellers from the ancient Tanzanian precinct trade with the Indigenous population of Australia? Did they simply dock and leave?
And is it possible that some of the people who sailed from Kilwa to Australia stayed in ‘Down Under?’
How far is Australia from Tanzania?
The shortest aerial distance between Tanzania and Australia is 10,603 kilometers.
That is nearly 11,000 kilometres. An airplane with will cover the distance in between 18 and 24 hours.
But in old days people used sail propelled sea vessels and the distance between Tanzania coastline and Australia should average at 7147 nm.
A modern ship takes 30 days to cover the distance, but old ones could take two or three months.
Comments are closed, but trackbacks and pingbacks are open.