Kelvin Fella

KELVIN FELLA, then a graduate student at University of Dar es Salaam, Dar es Salam, Tanzania, received a grant in September 2023 to aid research on “Human Responses to Climate Changes and Natural Events during the 500-1850 AD at Pangani Bay, Northern Tanzania Coast,” supervised by Dr. Elinaza Mjema. This project conducted research at Pangani Bay, Northern Tanzania coast. The research focused on studying human responses to climate changes and natural events during the period from AD 600 to 1750. The study applied multi-proxy records such as sediments, geochemical elements, phytolith assemblages, and archaeological data to reconstruct the past climates and natural events and human responses to these phenomena. Key findings indicate that the region experienced prolonged dry periods (AD 600-900 and AD 1265-1455) and extreme wet conditions at the beginning of AD 1000, which significantly influenced human settlement patterns. Coastal communities initially occupied lowland areas during drier climates but relocated to uplands like Muhembo during wet phases and returned to the lowlands when environments dried. However, the Pangani local climate indicates that the regional wet period of AD 1500-1750 was interrupted by an aridity phase around ca. AD 1571-1631. Additionally, there are indications of flood events and possible tsunami impacts, which, together with climate change, influenced agricultural practices such as intentional soil fertilization during dry periods and strategically growing humid-grown crops on the lowlands and dry-tolerant crops in uplands throughout all climatic phases.