Makala hii inaelezea ugunduzi wa viashiria vya meli kale mbili zilizozama katika mwambao wa pwani ya Kilwa Kisiwani zikiwa zimesheheni bidhaa mbalimbali, vikiwemo vyombo vya udongo. Soroveya iliyofanyika ndani ya bahari na maeneo ya fukwe za mwambao wa Kilwa Kisiwani, mojawapo ya miji mikongwe katika Pwani ya Afrika Mashariki, ilibainisha kwamba, meli mojawapo ilizama katika lango kuu la kuingilia bandari ya Kilwa Kisiwani, ilihali nyingine ilizama pembezoni mwa ‘jiwe la jahazi’. Masalia ya meli kale hizi pamoja na bidhaa zilizokuwemo ndani vinaashiria kwamba tukio la kuzama kwa meli mojawapo lilitokea kati ya karne ya nane na ya kumi, ilihali meli nyingine ilizama kati ya karne ya kumi na tatu na ya kumi na sita. Ugunduzi huu unatanabaisha kuwepo kwa mahusiano ya kibiashara baina ya wenyeji wa pwani ya Kilwa na kati ya mataifa ya Uarabuni, ‘mashariki ya kati’ na ‘mashariki ya mbali’ kwa kipindi cha kati ya karne ya nane na ya kumi na sita–takribani miaka 1300 iliyopita.This article reports on the artefacts and environment of marine ballast and pottery sites identified through inter-tidal and underwater survey around Kilwa, Tanzania, one of the most important medieval sultanates along the east African coast. An inter-tidal site on the limestone fringing reef on the approaches to Kilwa Kisiwani Harbour and an underwater site within the harbour have been dated from associated pottery to c.8th–10th century and the 13th–16th century respectively. The presence of exotic basalt ballast is discussed as an indicator of wreck-sites.National Geographic; British Institute in Eastern Africa