Gedi Ruins On Monday Mystery...!

Most of the time when we find remnants of towns or villages, we have some idea of what happened to the people living there. And then there are cases like the Gedi Ruins that we don't have a clue as to what happened.

Gedi Ruins

Photo credit: The Daily Beast

The Gedi ruins in Kenya are located deep inside a forest next to the Indian Ocean. These ruins have lessened the general belief that Africa lagged far behind other civilizations when it came to technology and advancing toward modern living. Proof of this came in the form of flushing toilets, running water, and streets built in a town that is thought to have been established in the 13th century.

It seems that the Muslim inhabitants of the town traded extensively with other cultures, including China and other countries. But then the unthinkable happened. The entire town was abandoned in the 17th century for no apparent reason. Also, despite the fact that several ruins remain, including mosques, a palace, and houses, there are no written records to be found of Gedi.

Theories have been put forward that an unnamed enemy might have invaded the town and destroyed it, but there is no evidence of war among the ruins. Another theory has it that the receding Indian Ocean could have led to the depletion of water wells or that foreign explorers might have introduced the plague, leading to the death of all the inhabitants. However, there is a complete lack of evidence to support any of these theories.

While it's strange for an entire people to vanish without a trace, it isn't unheard of. Many countries around the world have similar cases. Makes you wonder just where they all went.

Coffee inside this morning. Just too hot to go out to the patio.