Abstract

In one form or another, the sewn-plank boats have been in existence along the Swahili coast of East Africa since at least the first century CE. Although the last such vessel type known later as mtepe vanished in the mid-1930s in Lamu Archipelago, Kenya, a research reconstruction was built in Zanzibar in 2003. It was originally housed in the House of Wonders as part of a large exhibit on the Dhow Cultures of the Indian Ocean. Due to a tragic collapse of the museum’s roof, the mtepe reconstruction named Shungwaya had to be moved to an open outdoor space in 2020. Since then, it has remained unprotected and exposed to the elements, which contributed to further deterioration and damage. The aim of this article is to expand on the initial work related to the reconstruction of Shungwaya, provide documentation and analysis of the structure of this research model and museum exhibit, produce a digital record, and provide ship lines and drawings. The article also draws attention to the importance of preserving vernacular shipbuilding traditions and culture through models, full-scale reconstructions, documentations, interpretations, and museum exhibitions.

中文翻译：

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Mtepe：坦桑尼亚桑给巴尔缝制船重建的记录和分析

摘要

至少从公元一世纪起，缝制木板船就以某种形式存在于东非斯瓦希里海岸。尽管最后一艘此类船只（后来被称为mtepe）于 20 世纪 30 年代中期在肯尼亚拉穆群岛消失，但 2003 年在桑给巴尔建造了一座研究重建船。它最初被安置在奇迹屋中，作为单桅帆船大型展览的一部分印度洋文化。由于博物馆屋顶的悲剧性倒塌，名为Shungwaya的mtepe重建项目不得不在 2020 年转移到一个开放的室外空间。此后，它一直不受保护并暴露在自然环境中，这导致了进一步的恶化和损坏。本文的目的是扩展与Shungwaya重建相关的初步工作，提供该研究模型和博物馆展品结构的记录和分析，生成数字记录，并提供船舶线和图纸。文章还提请人们注意通过模型、全面重建、文献记录、解释和博物馆展览来保护本土造船传统和文化的重要性。