Taken from: The African Archaeology Network: Research in Progress; John Kinahan, ‎J. Kinahan · 2006 · ‎

Taking into account results from archaeological investigations in Anosy (south – east Madagascar) and in Androy (south-west Madagascar), it seems that a sea-lane via southern Madagascar was known.

There, many archaeological sites dating back to the 9th or 10th century and later have been identified, sometimes at the mouths of the main rivers like Manambovo (site:Talaky and upstream in the river valley Andaro, Andranosoa and Tondalava)  , Menarandra (site of Enijo), and Linta (seemap under) . Imported artefacts include glass; glass beads; K2 beads (dated to about 1000 to 1200 AD) similar to those observed in southern Africa (Wood and Rasoarifetra pers. comm. 2005); Sassano - Islamic, sgraffiato and Chinese celadon ceramics (Rakotoarisoa and Radimilahy 2004; Parker - Pearson et al. 1990/2002). Trade routes existed possibly along the coasts of south - west and southern Madagascar. Parker - Pearson (1990/2002) suggests the former existence of direct trade routes between Zimbabwe and Mozambique, and southern Madagascar. Besides, sites surrounded by walls in Androy are similar to those in southern Africa, more especially in Zimbabwe. Finally, a way of life based mainly on herding cattle is much more common in this region than in other parts of Madagascar.

From the 2004 field survey south of the Onilahy region, some exciting data have been identified with sites along the Linta river dating back to the 9th century. And at the mouth of the Linta River, sgraffiato imports and ceramic ware similar to what has been found in Anosy have been excavated, along with remnants of Aepyornis eggs (Pearson 2011 Pastoralists, Warriors and Colonists: The Archaeology of Southern Madagascar).

Note: A hinterland for export from Bandar Hant up the river valley of the Linta to Gogogogo and Mandan-dRamananga where sherds of imported ceramics were found is among the possibilities.

Gogogogo and Mandan-dRamananga (sites with imported porcelain in the hinterland)

Taken from: Madagascar: The Development of Trading Ports and the Interior; Beaujard, Philippe

As at Mahilaka, imported sgraffiato and glass from the Persian Gulf as well as Chinese pottery were uncovered in different sites such as Andranosoa, Andaro, Mandamerine and Mandan-dRamananga (Radimilahy 1981; Parker Pearson et al. 2010).

Large enclosures at Lintamandanimerine (Gogogogo), in the Mahafaly country, and Mandan-dRamananga, between Gogogogo and the Manambovo valley, have yielded sgraffiato ware from the Persian Gulf. The sites with manda (stonewall enclosure) differ from smaller sites without enclosures: they contain pottery featuring thin plates and red-slipped basins. “While these enclosures are essentially dated to the same period as Great Zimbabwe, they do not exhibit the same elaborate and complex architecture” (Pearson 1997: 240). Stone enclosures, red-slipped pottery with graphite decoration, and the predominance of stockbreeding, however, are characteristics shared with East Africa, as is the relief decoration of some ceramic ware, which suggests a link between southern Madagascar and East Africa and its insertion into Arabo-Swahili trade networks around the eleventh and twelfth centuries (Pearson 1992: 947). As previously noted, East African Triangular Incised Ware dated to the late first or early second millennium has been found at the mouth of the Menarandra River; this is the only discovery of this type of pottery in Madagascar.

Taken from: Archéologie de l'Androy: deux sites importants Andranosoa et le manda de Ramananga by  Emphoux, J.P. (1981).

The Manda of Ramananga.

It has an encircling wall of 800m at its biggest dimension of 2 to 3m high and wide with two or three gates. In the N-E there was a double wall. Among the surface finds were pieces of ‘faux celadon’ from the 15th century. Oral tradition has it that King Ramananga build the Manda against the attacks by the Zafimanely.