For decades, the archaeological work of the Swahili Civilization has mainly concentrated on exploring city-state economic and political dynamics. This paper explores how gender roles were formed, maintained, negotiated, and re-negotiated through time and space in Gede City. Unlike other Swahili city-states, Gede was located around two miles away from the shores of the Indian Ocean. Nonetheless, the city was characterized by security walls, stone houses, mosques, and tombs typical of Swahili City states such as Kilwa. The study employed several data collection methods: archival research, a survey, a re-examination of collected materials, and excavation of the Gede archaeological site. Since the study aimed to examine gender roles across different social classes, three areas were excavated based on their spatial distribution. Thus, the areas were roughly categorized as belonging to elite, middle-class, and lower-class structures. These structures were located in the inner, second, and outer walls of Gede City, respectively. Key findings show that gender identities differed considerably along classes in Gede archaeological site. For instance, the women of the elites and middle class were active participants in Gede's international trade through the production and consumption of imported goods. This participation corresponded with the commercialization of Gede households, especially in elite' areas where they hosted international traders. On the other hand, in middle-class houses, women concentrated on running light industries to supply goods to the urban community. Thus, they were able to afford exotic goods like their elite counterparts. Lastly, the gender roles of the lower class entailed subsistence-gendered roles with little participation in Gede formal commerce. Interestingly, gender roles in Gede were dynamic in nature and response to cultural diffusion, the spread of Islam, the intensification of trade, the diversification of subsistence patterns, and urbanization. Therefore, these findings demonstrate the centrality of gender in the reconstruction of the social lives of the Swahili Civilization.

This paper interrogates how economic exchanges created new frontiers for women artisans in Gede city, at the coastal region of Kenya as demonstrated in archaeological records. Gede City state experienced economic development from the 11th century through intensification of international trade, rapid urbanization and diversification of subsistence patterns. This led to the emergency of artisan classes. Men artisans were mostly engaged in metal working and boat building whereas women artisans engaged in ceramics manufacturing and beads making. Before 11th century, the Gede community engaged in these activities mainly for subsistence use. The intensification of international trade and rapid urbanization from the 11th Century however led to the commodification of ceramics, metal objects, cloth and beads between the Gede community and the people from the hinterland. The Gede community exchanged goods such as beads, metal objects, cloths and ceramics for ivory, animal skins and precious stones. They then traded these goods from the hinterland with foreign merchants thereby making Gede a mercantile City. These new opportunities were contested by different social identities and became new frontiers where gender identities were expressed. This paper aim is twofold: it examines how Gede gendered activities were contested through re-organization of the society’s social structures and how women activities were reflected in new structures from archaeological record. Data was collected through historical sources, archival materials and excavation on Gede Industrial Complex of Bead Making as Women Space. The central question that the paper addresses is: How did the reorganization of the Gede economy create new gendered spaces for women artisans in Gede state?