Emily Chan
Based on the ceramic fragments and radiocarbon dating of the charcoal from the site, it was likely occupied during the 10th and 12th centuries.
The inhabitants must have participated in the Indian Ocean trade network since the ceramics were not of local origin.
These findings disprove the idea that Portuguese sailors built the site, as the first Portuguese ships did not set sail in the Indian Ocean until 1498, which is a few centuries later than the proposed construction of Teniky.
The researchers looked into the local Malagasy Madagascan population for similar structures. After reviewing the literature from this time period, they found that Teniky’s structures shared traits with sites in many regions throughout Iran.
“The closest stylistic parallels are found in Iran, where a multitude of archaeological sites show niches cut in steep rock walls dating to the first millennium A.D. or earlier,” said the archaeologists.
This led them to hypothesize that Teniky was built by Zoroastrian settlers from Iran. Zoroastrianism was an ancient monotheistic religion practiced throughout the Persian Empire.
Its practitioners believed that bodies should not be buried directly in the ground to prevent pollution.
So, the rock-cut chambers in the cliffs of Teniky may have served as Zoroastrian necropolises. Some of the smaller chambers could have been used to store the bones of the deceased.
The researchers plan to return to Teniky in 2025 for further excavations. They hope to learn more about the lives of the settlers who first came to Madagascar.
The study was published in Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa.
