Raising the profile
Used for social good, social media can provide a space for more than just extraordinary content. Such platforms can be used not only to share and speak about the potential impacts on Africa’s cultural heritage sites in changing global environments but to celebrate and raise the profile of the continent’s archaeological sites and monuments, big or small, popularly known or less well understood.
Voices for Africa’s heritage sites
In 2011, Senegalese-born businesswoman and founder of the first African-led global movement to advance STEAMED education, IamtheCode, Lady Mariéme Jamme remarked:
“Social media is transforming communication about a continent that did not always have the chance to speak for itself.”
A powerful statement that has as much pertinence in social networking today as it did a decade ago. It reminds us about the type of engagement which embraces multiple voices and diverse cultures and knowledges across a continent so rich in cultural heritage, including its archaeology.
What @maesamproject is doing
At the end of September 2021, MAEASaM’s digital social media accounts on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook went live. Our objective is to raise awareness of Africa’s archaeological sites and monuments, part of which includes sharing around the potential threats that many of these sites face today, such as the increasingly visible effects of global climate change. Two of our successful social media campaigns, which have attracted diverse audiences and online interactive engagement, are:
1) #heritagefromabove: These interactive weekly posts invite audiences to recognise sites and send their answers. Viewing heritage sites through remote satellite imagery allows followers to engage with these incredible sites and landscapes from afar, and to play an interactive role in highlighting their significance.
2) #meettheteam: Our weekly introductions of the MAEASaM core research members and their work behind the scenes, whether it be tailoring remote sensing models for site detection and monitoring or digitising legacy heritage datasets to be included in a unified African geodatabase, has provided a pathway to connect with the team and to get to know them.
In addition to these regularly scheduled posts, we share the ongoing work of our different project team members, offering a diverse array of content from all of our African partner countries. We also share content relevant to a variety of recognised international days, such as the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, and World Water Day, to keep our content varied and create links to wider social media (particularly regarding trending hashtags).
Stay connected and follow our story
Twitter https://twitter.com/maeasamproject
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/maeasamproject/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/maeasamproject/
MAEASaM social media team
Ed Burnett
MAEASaM Researcher for Sudan, University of Cambridge
Nadia Khalaf
MAEASaM Postdoctoral Researcher for Ethiopia, University of Exeter
Faye Lander
MAEASaM Regional Project Manager for Southern Africa, University of the Witwatersrand
Nicolas S.E. Sisset SagnA
MAEASaM Researcher for Senegal, IFAN- University Cheikh Anta Diop