Ruins of ancient city discovered in waters near Tanzania - video

Near the Tanzanian island of Mafia, Allen Sutten came across the sunken ruins of an ancient city. He first spotted them during a helicopter flight and then decided to investigate further during a dive. Interestingly, he was very lucky, because the ruins are visible from the air only in spring, when the water level is particularly low. According to a preliminary examination, the find is 2,000 years old.

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The whole thing took over three years. When Allen first noticed the ruins, he failed to map their position so that he could find them again later. Since then he has been trying to find them and determine their exact location. Luck smiled on him on 21 March 2016, when he once again came across their trace.

It is highly probable that the discovered ruins are the remains of the city of Rhapta, which was once an important centre of trade in a region referred to by historians and researchers as the African Atlantis. Regardless of whether this information is confirmed, the discovery itself will undoubtedly change the shape of the region’s history and become an interesting and important archaeological site for many years to come.

Archaeologist Felix Chami is almost certain that we are dealing with what remains of Rhapta. This is evidenced by the characteristic techniques of laying out the buildings, the pottery found, as well as the location.

Mafia Island is the southernmost island of Tanzania and also the least known. This partly explains the fact that so far no one has come across the ruins. Another issue is that they are located in an area that is difficult to access and quite far from the attractive dive sites the island offers.

Its name has no Italian connotations, and in pre-colonial times it was known among Portuguese and British sailors as Mofina. The term most probably comes from the Arabic word morfiyeh meaning a group of islands. The name was changed to Mafia in 1890 when international treaties brought the island under German rule.

The ruins stretch for a distance of 3.7 kilometres, but scientists assume that part is hidden in the sand below the surface of the bottom and remains invisible. A fragment of the uncovered foundations is visible at low water level from the surface, while a large part is located at a depth of 10-20 metres.

Examining the find, archaeologists found that it was very old and the whole thing was very well built in a style not seen anywhere else in Tanzania.

Rhapta is regarded as Africa’s first metropolis and major trading centre. Unfortunately there is not much information about the place itself, as it disappeared over 1600 years ago.

Source: seaunseen.com