The modern history of Bagamoyo begins with the period 1830-1840, when
Zanzibar was established as the capital of the Oman Sultanate and
subsequently, the slave and ivory trades intensified. However trade and
cultural interactions between the coast and the interior had existed
before 1800. In 2001, archaeological works began for the first time at
caravan-serai in the Bagamoyo historical area. The reasons for the
excavation were to provide knowledge about the background and function
of the site as a depository for slaves.