Rhapta

Rhapta ( Periplus Maris after Erythraei of Greek rhapton ploiarion " bound together Boat" ) was an ancient market on the East African coast, whose localization is not yet clearly succeeded, although there are a number of plausible identifications. Rhapta the Romans was the southernmost known location on the coast and is the Azanias mentioned by Ptolemy, Periplus Maris the Erythraei and Cosmas Indicopleustes.

Claudius Ptolemy and the Periplus Maris Erythraei describe Rhapta than larger city, which was after the Periplus under Sabean and himjarischer rule and from the Arab port of Muza, of customs duties rose across the region, from was administered.

Localization

When localizing Rhapta, the Periplus Maris Erythraei an important source dar. In Chapter 16 it says: Two days beyond [ the island Menuthias ] is the very last trading port on the coast of Azania called Rhapta. Due to the description in chapter 15, it must be an island of the Zanzibar archipelago at Menuthias. Claudius Ptolemy mentions Rhapta twice: A merchant named Diogenes had moved away on the way back from India from the course and have achieved after 25 days Rhapta. This lies at the mouth of the same river, which had its source in the mountains near the source of the Nile Moon, opposite the island Menuthis. He also leads in the Geographike Hyphégesis at the end of places on the " barbarians Bay " ( the East African coast between the Cape Guardafui and Cape Delgado ) the following entries to: mouth of the river Rhaptus: 72 ° 00 ' 7 ° 00' S; Rhapta, capital of Barbaria [= south of Azania ], a short distance from the sea, 71 ° 00 ' 7 ° 00' S; Promontory Rhaptum 73 ° 50 ' 8 ° 25 ' S. After these coordinates Rhapta ranged from Dar es Salaam in a larger bay. This allows the location of Rhapta on the area between the Rufiji Delta and the side opposite the Zanzibar Archipelago coast narrow.

Archaeological evidence

A number of finds from the presumed area of ​​Rhapta occupy the brisk trade with the Mediterranean world and India. These include Egyptian pottery dating back to the 7th century BC, Greek glass beads from the Rufji Delta and Greek, Roman and Indian pottery that has been found in Zanzibar and Mafia in limestone caves.