Coins believed to have been minted nearly 1,000 years ago in present-day Tanzania have been discovered in Australia, according to the African Australian magazine.
Experts say five ancient coins discovered in the remote and isolated Wessel Islands in the northern part of Australia's Northern Territory date back to the period between the 8th and 15th centuries. Made of copper, silver, and gold, they are believed to have been minted in Kilwa, a city located on the coast of present-day Tanzania.
The artifacts would have been used as currency in trade between the Oceania region and the Kilwa Kisiwani, a powerful ancient empire famous for trading gold, ivory, and other goods from the African interior across the Indian Ocean.
So is it possible that ancient Tanzanians discovered Australia long before the Europeans? Such speculations immediately appeared among the researchers. Ancient East African traders may have frequented Oceania.
Trade routes ran from the interior of Africa to the Indian Ocean, from where they departed to other overseas destinations.
The Australian researchers admit, however, that the exact explanation for the presence of these coins remains a mystery, and further research is needed to confirm their origin.