One of the quintisessential features of the Swahili city-states from 1000 to 1500 BC was their urban style. A few families made up the elite, ruling classes, while most people in the cities were less wealthy, working as craftsmen, artisans, clerks, and sailors. People in villages along the coast could also identify as Swahili.
"in the past" makes the most sense here :)
Answer:
noun
/ˈkämˌpound/
a thing that is composed of two or more separate elements; a mixture.
"the air smelled like a compound of diesel and gasoline fumes"
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adjective
/ˈkämˌpound,kəmˈpound/
made up or consisting of two or more existing parts or elements.
"a compound noun"
