Kenya, China set to boost historical ties as excavation set to begin (2)

"They were to arrive during the festivity period but there were visa hitches, which delayed them more, since they had also wanted to be part of the activities," he added.

During the second phase of the underwater and land excavation that stretched up to Mambrui in Malindi and Mombasa, several artifacts were discovered, including Chinese coins, porcelain and a mass grave bearing skeletons of the early inhabitants of the area.

"From the discovery, we came to the conclusion that Malindi and Mambrui are among the oldest settlements that were inhabited by the iron-age period class," said Athman.

The official added that there is a lot of data being processed for the first and second phases of the project, and will be revealed to the public soon.

The first phase underwater excavation phase, conducted last year in Lamu, included mapping out the areas and coming up with conclusions on the depth of the water, currents and other relevant issues.

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