Botiala
Encyclopedia
Botiala is an ancient settlement in the northeastern Bari of Somalia
.
, close to the ancient port city of Qandala
. Somali
traders in the region for centuries transported goods such as aromatic woods, gum
and incense
from the interior of the Horn of Africa
to and from the coastal port to conduct trade with India
n, Persian
and Arab
merchants.
The old Botiala fortress complex sits in a commanding position on a hill overlooking the mouth of the wadi, the seaport area, the old mine
and ruined settlement.
To the north of the fortress complex is an impressive field of approximately 200 stone cairn
s (taalo) of varying sizes, some of which are associated with standing stones. Close by and along the shoreline are extensive shell midden
s. Neither structures have yet been excavated or dated.
Somalia°N date=June 2009°W
Somalia
Somalia , officially the Somali Republic and formerly known as the Somali Democratic Republic under Socialist rule, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. Since the outbreak of the Somali Civil War in 1991 there has been no central government control over most of the country's territory...
.
History
The town is located in a wadiWadi
Wadi is the Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley. In some cases, it may refer to a dry riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain or simply an intermittent stream.-Variant names:...
, close to the ancient port city of Qandala
Qandala
Qandala is an ancient Port city in the Puntland region of Somalia, 75 kilometres east of Bosaso City, 549 kilometres south of Aden, and 475 kilometres west of Socotra.-History:...
. Somali
Somali people
Somalis are an ethnic group located in the Horn of Africa, also known as the Somali Peninsula. The overwhelming majority of Somalis speak the Somali language, which is part of the Cushitic branch of the Afro-Asiatic language family...
traders in the region for centuries transported goods such as aromatic woods, gum
Gum
-Natural gums:* Natural gum, any of a number of naturally occurring resinous materials in vegetative species* Gum anima* Gum arabic, used as food additive, adhesive et al.* Cassia gum* Dammar gum* Gellan gum* Guar gum* Kauri gum* Locust bean gum* Spruce gum...
and incense
Incense
Incense is composed of aromatic biotic materials, which release fragrant smoke when burned. The term "incense" refers to the substance itself, rather than to the odor that it produces. It is used in religious ceremonies, ritual purification, aromatherapy, meditation, for creating a mood, and for...
from the interior of the Horn of Africa
Horn of Africa
The Horn of Africa is a peninsula in East Africa that juts hundreds of kilometers into the Arabian Sea and lies along the southern side of the Gulf of Aden. It is the easternmost projection of the African continent...
to and from the coastal port to conduct trade with India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n, Persian
Persian people
The Persian people are part of the Iranian peoples who speak the modern Persian language and closely akin Iranian dialects and languages. The origin of the ethnic Iranian/Persian peoples are traced to the Ancient Iranian peoples, who were part of the ancient Indo-Iranians and themselves part of...
and Arab
Arab
Arab people, also known as Arabs , are a panethnicity primarily living in the Arab world, which is located in Western Asia and North Africa. They are identified as such on one or more of genealogical, linguistic, or cultural grounds, with tribal affiliations, and intra-tribal relationships playing...
merchants.
The old Botiala fortress complex sits in a commanding position on a hill overlooking the mouth of the wadi, the seaport area, the old mine
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
and ruined settlement.
To the north of the fortress complex is an impressive field of approximately 200 stone cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s (taalo) of varying sizes, some of which are associated with standing stones. Close by and along the shoreline are extensive shell midden
Midden
A midden, is an old dump for domestic waste which may consist of animal bone, human excrement, botanical material, vermin, shells, sherds, lithics , and other artifacts and ecofacts associated with past human occupation...
s. Neither structures have yet been excavated or dated.
External links
Somalia°N date=June 2009°W