Takwa is a relatively late Swahili stone town in the Lamu Archipelago, which features at least 16 other archaeological sites on the three islands of the archipelago. An additional 11 sites are found on the mainland between the Tana River and the archipelago, and another 14 sites north of the archipelago towards the Somali border.
Occupation of the stone structures at Takwa is roughly dated between 1600 and 1900, though a historical Swahili chronicle known as the Pate Chronicle speaks of events as early as the 14th and 15th century involving the town.
Not particularly large, at 4.3 hectares, this walled settlement featured 149 stone structures including gatehouses, a mosque, a pillar tomb and 137 one-, two- or three-room structures. “54 structures at Takwa had identifiable toilet facilities, of which 24 were interior and 30 were exterior.” There are believed to have been more structures of perishable materials as well as stone that did not leave enough discernible traces for early archaeologists and later surveys to record. Imports included artefacts from as far as the Middle East, Europe and China.
There were also finds of iron and copper (and copper alloy), glass, beads and pipes, as well as spindle whirls, indicative of a local weaving industry.
