Exploring mobility, religion and the subsistence economy of coastal Somali communities, 4th-19th century CE

This first bioarchaeological study of coastal Somali communities will address questions of mobility, religion, and identity in this important region. The coast of Somaliland has been internationally networked for at least 2,000 years, with connections to the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The region had a key role in the process of Islamic conversion in eastern Africa. This rich history is known in only very basic detail from sparse research over the last 25 years. I will conduct isotopic analysis on material from Somaliland, exploring diet as a route to understanding mobility, religion and identity among coastal populations.