In the 15th century, a community of Iron Age farmers constructed over 2,000 ha of stone terraces, fields, and canals at Engaruka, in northern Tanzania

Like many of Africa’s ancient stone ruins, the site of Engaruka became a magnet for pseudoscientifc theories associated with the “Hamitic” myth during the colonial period.

This article outlines the history of Engaruka and examines the controversies regarding its origin and abandonment.