Dembeni was first discovered when American archeologists Susan Kus and Henry Wright uncovered pottery shards there in 1975 during an archeological survey of Mayotte.

[1][2] However, the site did not gain widespread notability until 1976, when a French engineer discovered large pits and gullies filled with ceramics of types undocumented by Kus & Wright.

The first phase occupied the center of the plateau and is characterized by the presence of postholes, long ovoid pits, burnt fragments of wattle and the use of uncut Porites coral in the construction of mud-and-thatch walls.

[1][5] The second occupation phase is characterized by the conversion of the central plateau into a cemetery with residential areas on the eastern and western sides, as well as the usage of cut coral blocks in construction.

Additionally, pottery recovered from the middens associated with the residential areas of the second occupation phase are consistent with a period spanning the 11th-12th centuries, after which Dembeni presumably was abandoned.

[1] Mawuti pottery is characterized by a rough paste, brown to greyish-brown color and decorative features such as zigzags, punctures and seashell impressions.

The remaining 15% of recovered ceramics represent trade imports from throughout the Indian Ocean world, including Iran, Iraq, China, Madagascar and India.

[1][3] Rock crystal is a transparent variety of hyaline quartz that was coveted throughout the Muslim world for its aesthetic appeal as well as its supposed magical properties, and therefore was a valuable trade item.