Medieval History
It is not much to look at - a small pitted brass coin with a square hole in the centre - but this relatively innocuous piece of metal is revolutionising our understanding of early East African history, and recasting China's more contemporary role in the region.
A joint team of Kenyan and Chinese archaeologists found the 15th Century Chinese coin in Mambrui - a tiny, nondescript village just north of Malindi on Kenya's north coast.
In barely distinguishable relief, the team leader Professor Qin Dashu from Peking University's archaeology department, read out the inscription: "Yongle Tongbao" - the name of the reign that minted the coin some time between 1403 and 1424.
Click here to read this article from the BBC
- Important New Anglo-saxon Coin
Dr Rory Naismith writes: Later in June 2014, an important Anglo-Saxon coinis due to be sold at auction by Dix, Noonan and Webb in London. It was discovered in March this year by a metal-detector user who promptly brought his find to the Fitzwilliam...
- Chinese Archaeologists' African Quest For Sunken Ship Of Ming Admiral
It's another chapter in the now familiar story of China's economic embrace of Africa. Except that this one begins nearly 600 years ago. A team of 11 Chinese archaeologists will arrive in Kenya tomorrow to begin the search for an ancient shipwreck...
- Umayyad Coin Discovered In Egypt
Egypt's Cultural Minister, Farouk Hosni, announced that a gold Umayyad coin was unearthed last Thursday during an excavation at Deir Yehnes el-Koseir (Monastery of St. John the Little), an area in Wadi el-Natrun. The excavation is a joint venture...
- China, Kenya To Search For Medieval Chinese Ships On Kenyan Coast
China and Kenya have signed an agreement to jointly explore the Kenyan coast for wrecks of ancient Chinese merchant ships. The three-year project, funded by China's Ministry of Commerce, will explore Kenya's coasts around Malindi City and the...
- Arab Coin Dating Back To The Year 805 Found In Norway
Archaeologists in Norway say an ancient Islamic coin dating back to 805 AD was found just west of Oslo earlier this year. Houshang Khazaei, who is a researcher at the University of Oslo, said that the coin is an issue of Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid,...
Medieval History
Could a rusty coin re-write Chinese-African history?
It is not much to look at - a small pitted brass coin with a square hole in the centre - but this relatively innocuous piece of metal is revolutionising our understanding of early East African history, and recasting China's more contemporary role in the region.
A joint team of Kenyan and Chinese archaeologists found the 15th Century Chinese coin in Mambrui - a tiny, nondescript village just north of Malindi on Kenya's north coast.
In barely distinguishable relief, the team leader Professor Qin Dashu from Peking University's archaeology department, read out the inscription: "Yongle Tongbao" - the name of the reign that minted the coin some time between 1403 and 1424.
Click here to read this article from the BBC
- Important New Anglo-saxon Coin
Dr Rory Naismith writes: Later in June 2014, an important Anglo-Saxon coinis due to be sold at auction by Dix, Noonan and Webb in London. It was discovered in March this year by a metal-detector user who promptly brought his find to the Fitzwilliam...
- Chinese Archaeologists' African Quest For Sunken Ship Of Ming Admiral
It's another chapter in the now familiar story of China's economic embrace of Africa. Except that this one begins nearly 600 years ago. A team of 11 Chinese archaeologists will arrive in Kenya tomorrow to begin the search for an ancient shipwreck...
- Umayyad Coin Discovered In Egypt
Egypt's Cultural Minister, Farouk Hosni, announced that a gold Umayyad coin was unearthed last Thursday during an excavation at Deir Yehnes el-Koseir (Monastery of St. John the Little), an area in Wadi el-Natrun. The excavation is a joint venture...
- China, Kenya To Search For Medieval Chinese Ships On Kenyan Coast
China and Kenya have signed an agreement to jointly explore the Kenyan coast for wrecks of ancient Chinese merchant ships. The three-year project, funded by China's Ministry of Commerce, will explore Kenya's coasts around Malindi City and the...
- Arab Coin Dating Back To The Year 805 Found In Norway
Archaeologists in Norway say an ancient Islamic coin dating back to 805 AD was found just west of Oslo earlier this year. Houshang Khazaei, who is a researcher at the University of Oslo, said that the coin is an issue of Abbasid Caliph Harun al-Rashid,...