Group photo of participants at the meeting [Attribution: Lotta-Maris Schüler; Copyright: KAAK]
Report on SPP Entangled Africa Annual Meeting in Münster
The final annual meeting of the Entangled Africa programme took place at the University of Münster from 10th to 12th February 2025. The meeting was attended by members of each of the thirteen projects, African cooperation partners and representatives of the German Research Foundation (DFG). Those who could not attend in person were able to participate via the Zoom platform.
The aim of the meeting was to summarise the latest results of the projects and working groups, focusing on the original research questions of the programme, in order to enable an evaluation of the work. Entangled Africa has experienced a number of unsettling events, most notably the Covid-19 pandemic and political conflicts in several research areas in Africa, such as Tigray on the border between Ethiopia and Eritrea. Nevertheless, the projects have managed to cope with all these situations and have refocused their research to achieve the programme’s objectives.
Entangled Africa researchers explored fascinating insights into ancient tools, pottery, environmental history and cultural exchange in Africa. Discussions of neck axes traced their distribution and significance, revealing their widespread use in the Sahara and their role in trade and crafts. Analysis of pottery shed light on food technology and provided clues to African rice and cassava cooking techniques, while lipid and isotope studies shed light on ancient diets. Research on settlement patterns in Sudan highlighted the link between water management, climate and cultural development, including the fact that hafirs (water reservoirs) played a key role in mobility and livelihoods. Ceramic and trade networks in the Kanem-Bornu region revealed complex interactions, with new data challenging previous assumptions about cultural interdependencies.
Discussions on historical ecology highlighted the impact of humans on the West African savannah, in particular the management of the Shea Parks, which are still of great importance today. Across all themes, the event emphasised the importance of heritage, new analytical techniques and interdisciplinary collaboration in exploring Africa’s deep past.
Mamadou Cisse’s keynote address on the second day of the conference emphasised the role of Gao as a central trading hub in medieval Mali, highlighting evidence of local industry, elite architecture and trans-Saharan trade in glass, salt and metals. The SPP project Routes of Interaction traced ancient trade routes in Ethiopia and Djibouti, revealing links between human movement and landscape change. Tree-ring analysis revealed climatic changes, volcanic influences and new methods for studying the anatomy of old wood. The archaeological-linguistic team working in West Africa studied the spread of the Mande, using pottery as a cultural and linguistic marker. Pollen studies from the Congo Basin showed how climate change shaped forest landscapes and human migration. Other discussions included medieval trade in Marandet, the gender perspective in archaeology and advances in digital heritage preservation.
The FAIR.rdm project has demonstrated once again that the FAIR principles (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, Reusable) are technical in nature, while successful research is more complex and requires ethical considerations (CARE principles). Digital data, especially images, require extensive storage and management. The iDAI.world system helps to integrate fragmented data, although interoperability issues remain. AI and Python tools have streamlined the processing of metadata for all projects in the programme.
The Planet Africa exhibition, with its focus on African heritage and archaeology, has been a great success in Germany and Africa. Discussions on the Entangled Africa programme in general focused on its achievements and the need for future collaborations, publications and institutional structures to maintain the momentum beyond the official end of the programme. The researchers emphasised the importance of visibility, interdisciplinary work and sustainable networking. The event ended with thanks to the coordination team and hopes for future engagement, including at upcoming conferences and exhibitions.
Despite some problems with accommodation, the participants were enthusiastic and happy to present their work in the various projects and working groups. On the first day they were given a guided tour of Münster by Lukas Lammers, and on the second day they visited the Münster Archaeological Museum and the Münster Bible Museum, led by Angelika Lohwasser. On the final day, in order to take a step back and introduce our African guests to some European archaeological research, about half of the group visited the Roman Park at Haltern am See. The guided tour provided an insight into this ancient fortification of the Roman legions east of the Rhine, their culinary preferences and international connections – and thus fitted in well with the interests of the Entangled Africa programme.
Overall, it was felt that it had been a great meeting, although most acknowledged that they would miss the work of the project and its various project members in the future. Plans were made to continue the work outside the programme and to promote joint research on Africa at future annual meetings.
