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. [...]
SPP project director Ingo Heinrich (P08 – ClimCellMed) succeeded the dendrochronologist Karl-Uwe Heußner at the German Archaeological Institute in Berlin (DAI) on November 1st, 2020. The SPP Entangled Africa congratulates! [...]
Global climate change has been a central topic of worldwide politics and public opinion in recent years. The “Fridays for Future” movement brings the younger generation onto the streets to underline the issue. The current pandemic is hopefully used as an opportunity to overcome the economic crisis that has arisen by providing targeted support for climate-neutral projects. And even the awarding of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize to United Nations World Food Programme is linked to this event. [...]
Charcoal is a common find on archaeological sites. But the full range of information it contains is very often insufficiently used. Pieces of charcoal not only reveal their age (based on radiocarbon dating) but also which tree or group of tree species they once belonged to. This enables the reconstruction of vegetation types, landscapes and climate, and can even provide information about trade relations. [...]
Visiting museum collections to gather comparative material is an important part of my project. Corona has caused quite a stir here. So it was a welcome circumstance that a visit to the Musée de l’Homme in Paris in July, which had already been planned at the beginning of the year, could actually take place. [...]
Ceramic processing must be flexible, able to adapt to the conditions of excavation and object. At the same time, the records of those working on this find genre from different regions should be comparable. Done to speed up and standardize the ceramic recording on site, the elaboration of the catalogue was successfully completed. [...]
The project on research data management (RDM) and the coordination of the priority program “Entangled Africa” (SPP2143) pursue a virtual exchange with specialists from the Department of Scientific Information Technology (Scientific IT) of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), to create new tools for the scientific discourse of all of the program’s projects on the temporal and spatial networking of the inhabitants of North Africa. [...]
Object of the discourse was the range of various forms of decoration and techniques that have been listed in the individual ceramic assortments of the projects. The projects of the scientists are located in Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia and in the area of the Middle Niger in West Africa. [...]
