On August 24, 2021, the time had finally come: During the 25th conference of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists, the virtual session "Entangled Africa: Interactions, relations and networks within Africa" organized by Alexa Höhn and Friederike Jesse took place. There was a lively discussion and exchange about prehistoric depictions of herdsmen up to the copper trade of the 19th century.
On Aug. 24, 2021, the 'Entangled Africa' research symposium "Interactions, relations and networks within Africa" will be held as part of SAfA 2021. From prehistoric pastoral representations in the Sahara to the 19th century copper trade, a wide range of topics will be discussed.
The remains of firewood, which was used at a daily basis in archaeological settlements, are indicators of the environment of a site and its changes due to climate and human impact. The first batch of SEM images of charcoal from Mege, Nigeria, was recently published in the webservice iDAI.objects. The open access images and data serve as a reference for colleagues and provide an introduction to charcoal research for young international scientists.
Entangled Africa' encompasses both the connectivity of people and the connectivity with and of ecosystems, plants, and landscapes. In the second meeting of the methodological working group "Natural Sciences", the course was set for collaborative research and data management across project boundaries.
The spatial relation between gully erosion and distance to settlements and footpaths, as typical areas of human interaction, with the natural environment in rural African areas is investigated.
Two new directors of the DAI's departments come from the ranks of the SPP: Jörg Linstädter will succeed Burkhard Vogt at the KAAK in October 2021; Dietrich Raue will succeed Stephan Seidlmayer at the DAI Cairo starting in October 2022.
We have all lacked the opportunity to exchange with colleagues from around the globe in the past year due to home office work and the cancellation of conferences. But now new formats have been found. Three projects of the 'Entangled Africa' program were able to present their research and engage in discussion with colleagues and friends on the topic of precolonial African history in the scope of the multi-platform conference “Extracting the past from the present” organized by Birgit Ricquier and her colleagues. [...]
Environmental change either as a result of human impact or climate change has a long history in the Nile valley. From the much discussed Old Kingdom collapse to a variety of apparently catastrophic events and more nuanced incremental change, the archaeological record, with unique information from organic remains, resulting from optimal preservation, provides a detailed body of data. [...]
Africa is an adaptable continent that has always been subject to strong climatic and economic changes – and still is today. From an archaeological perspective, Africa is a hotspot for research into environmental and human history. [...]
They are entrusted with routine work or are working on their academic degrees; you can find them in laboratories, on excavations and in the library: the young scientists of the SPP “Entangled Africa” are an essential part of the projects. The program offers them the opportunity to gain insight into methods of the diverse scientific disciplines, to exchange ideas across continents, educational backgrounds and educational levels. [...]
