Introduction. Inland from Mombasa

Archaeological and historical evidence reveals that the forested upland ridges inland from Mombasa, Kenya, served as a long-standing refuge for lithic-using groups dating back at least 78,000 years. While coastal settlements flourished and evolved into key Islamic trading hubs like Mombasa by the second millennium CE, the Mijikenda-speaking communities persisted in the interior, offering a unique vantage point to study East Africa's interconnected oceanic world. This study synthesizes archaeological data with historical texts, including early Arabic geographic references and Ibn Battuta's 14th-century observations, to challenge misconceptions about Mombasa's mainland connections and highlight the enduring presence of inland communities in shaping regional history.

(Ed.). (2025). Introduction. Inland from Mombasa, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1525/9780520400498-003