Finds such as a coin minted in Kilwa and glass beads from India offer evidence that one early East Africa society may have acted as a middleman for African trade.?

The discovery of items like a coin minted in Kilwa and glass beads from India suggests that early East African societies, particularly those along the coast, played a significant role as intermediaries in trade networks. These artifacts indicate that Kilwa was not only a center of local commerce but also connected to broader trading systems that linked Africa to the Indian ocean world. The presence of foreign goods highlights the area's strategic importance in facilitating trade between different cultures and regions.