Biography
I am an anthropologically and historically oriented archaeologist, who specialises in the later Holocene archaeology of sub-Saharan Africa. I have lived in and undertaken archaeological and/or ethnoarchaeological research in Mali, Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana and I have also undertaken field research in South Sudan. I anticipate launching new projects soon in Ethiopia, Mozambique, Senegal, Nigeria and Zambia. My interests include landscape historical ecology, the archaeology of colonial encounters, the use and role of analogy in archaeological interpretation, the materialisation of memory, maritime archaeology, and the transition to food production in Africa. I am a former Director of the British Institute in Eastern Africa and former President of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists, and before joining the department I was Professor of Global Archaeology at Uppsala University, where I still supervise PhD and MA students and host one of my research projects.
I am currently engaged in field projects focussing on i) how societies, landscapes, ecosystems and Protected Areas in the Serengeti Basin have responded to climate change and societal use over the past 300 years, to better understand how they may respond in the future – see ARCC project webpages; ii) collaborative research between archaeologists and pastoralist community organisations on the long-term history of indigenous water management and well digging in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia – see Well Being project details; and iii) the co-production of community heritage networks in Tanzania – see CONCH project for details. I co-direct a Sida-funded training programme between the Department of Archaeology & Ancient History, Uppsala University and the Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, Eduardo Mondlane University, Mozambique on the theme of Biocultural heritage in Mozambique: Developing new heritage industries. I am also a co-Investigator on one of the AHRC’s Global Challenges Research Fund projects – Rising from the Depths, which aims to identify ways in which maritime cultural heritage can directly benefit coastal communities in eastern Africa – see the RFtD website for details.
Research
I am presently involved in the following research and training projects in Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Mozambique:
July 2017 – December 2020: ARCC – Adaptation and Resilience to Climate Change in NW Tanzania (Funding Agencies: Swedish research Council, Sida, Formas; PI)
October 2017 – September 2019: CONCH: Co-production Networks for Community Heritage in Tanzania (Funding Agency: AHRC Research Networking for International Development scheme; PI Dr Stephanie Wynne-Jones, University of York)
September 2017 – August 2021: Rising from the Depths: Utilising marine cultural heritage in East Africa to help develop sustainable social, economic and cultural benefits (Funding Agency: AHRC GCRF Area-Focused Network Plus, PI: Dr Jon Henderson, Nottingham University)
September 2018 – December 2020: Well Being: Indigenous wells, pastoralist biocultural heritage and community archaeology for sustainable development in northern Kenya and southern Ethiopia (Funding Agency: British Academy Sustainable Development Programme 2018, PI Dr Freda Nkirote, British Institute in Eastern Africa)
April 2018 – March 2022: Biocultural Heritage in Mozambique: developing new heritage industries (Funding Agency: Swedish International Development Agency – Sida, co-PI with Dr Hilario Madiquida, UEM and Dr Anneli Ekblom, Uppsala University)
Publication
2024
Doi: 10.1007/s13280-023-01968-4
Doi: http://doi.org/10.3390/heritage7040095
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ajhg.2024.05.019
2023
Doi: 10.1007/s12520-023-01811-7
Doi: 10.1177/14696053231185636
2022
Doi: http://doi.org/10.3390/rs14020314
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/wat2.1609
Doi: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.920143
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-021-01554-6
2021
Doi: http://doi.org/10.3390/heritage4030057
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/0067270X.2021.1925023
Doi: http://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2021.71
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2021.2062885
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774321000044
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0245516
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246662
2020
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-020-09388-5
2019
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.ancene.2019.100228
Doi: http://doi.org/10.3390/land8010005
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-019-0072-9
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2019.06.009
2018
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s10437-018-9312-4
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2017.12.010
Doi: http://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2017.00113
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2019.1591025
2017
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171883
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2016.1259583
2016
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/0067270X.2016.1249587
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0021853716000177
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0163606
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0021853716000049
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/17531055.2016.1138638
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2017.1332288
2015
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2015.1046252
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9655.12212
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/0067270X.2015.1108050
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/0067270X.2015.1079379
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1111/aman.12171
2014
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2013.07.005
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/0067270X.2014.918764
Doi: 10.1155/2014/240510
2012
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/s11457-012-9102-0
2011
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2011.544886
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1179/175355211X13179154165980
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00068186
2010
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00020184.2010.499203
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1002/oa.1014
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0021853710000307
2009
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00098239
2008
Doi: http://doi.org/10.5771/0257-9774-2008-1-77
2007
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0959774307000303
Doi: 10.1080/00672700709480453
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00094849
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2006.11.003
2006
Doi: 10.1080/00672700609480438
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00293650600703779
2005
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1191/0959683605hl857ra
2004
Doi: 10.1080/00672700409480402
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/0043824042000185838
2003
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00061548
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00061901
Doi: 10.1080/00672700309480372
2001
Doi: 10.1017/s0003598x00089298
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00089304
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00089298
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X0008933X
2000
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/S0003598X00060701
1997
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.1997.9980354
1994
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00672709409511656
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00672709409511661
1993
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1080/00672709309511653
1988
Doi: http://doi.org/10.2307/3336748
1987
1986
1985
1982
2022 (Published online)
Doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780190854584.013.258
2022
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781003107361-9
2021
Doi: 10.1007/978-981-15-4366-1_3
Doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-73291-2_3
2019
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781351167727-6
2018
Doi: 10.4324/9781315267647-9
2017
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315641997
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1017/9781108355780.006
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315691459-2
2016
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-23153-2_4
Doi: 10.4324/9781315433936-8
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315429014-15
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315427737-34
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315449005
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33822-4_9
2015
Doi: 10.5876/9781607323846.c016
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315716381
2013
Doi: http://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv17db2mz.14
Doi: http://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197264782.001.0001
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9781315013220-32
Doi: http://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197264782.003.0013
2012
Doi: http://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197264423.003.0026
2008
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1016/B978-012373962-9.00137-0
2006
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4135/9781848607972.n27
2004
Doi: http://doi.org/10.4324/9780203646052
Doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-8863-8_1
Doi: 10.1007/978-1-4419-8863-8_10
2015
Doi: http://doi.org/10.1179/2042458215Y.0000000022
2007
2013
Doi: http://doi.org/10.5871/bacad/9780197264782.003.0001
1986
Doi: http://doi.org/10.17863/CAM.20114
Teaching and Supervisions
I coordinate the following course:
Paper A35/ARC33/G34 The Archaeology of Africa
I am involved in the teaching of the following courses:
Paper A1 World Archaeology
Paper A10 Archaeological Theory and Practice
Paper G02 Core Archaeology
Paper G06 Medieval Europe in a Global Context
Paper MPhil in World History – Debates in World History
I am happy to supervise students at all levels on a range of topics related to the archaeology and historical ecology of sub-Saharan Africa, and I have both archaeological and ethnographic datasets relating to several of of my previous projects from across the African continent that could form the basis of a BA/BSc or MPhil dissertation project. I am especially interested in supervising students who wish to study for an MPhil or a PhD in the following topics:
- The historical ecology of ancient African towns
- The archaeology of ivory on the African continent
- The Pastoral Neolithic and Pastoral Iron Age of eastern Africa
- The archaeology of enslavement and slave trading in African settings
- Issues in African cultural heritage, including among the Diaspora
Other Professional Activities
Editorial Board, World Archaeology
Member of Council, British Institute in Eastern Africa
Fellow Society of Antiquaries of London
Routledge Series Editor, African Archaeology & Heritage
Member, Scientific Steering Committee, IHOPE