These posters were first showcased in September 2024 at the MAEASaM project symposium in Kenya, hosted in collaboration with the National Museums of Kenya (NMK). Data presented in the posters is correct as of August 2024.
Click on the poster titles below to open and download a pdf version.
Use of remote sensing for site identification
- Using remote sensing to locate archaeological sites in Zimbabwe (EN)
(9 MB)
An important part of the MAEASaM project is the use of Google Earth (GE) to visually inspect satellite images for targeted survey areas. Each survey area is inspected following a grid system along a transect. Features are then documented as having potential to be of archaeological significance. In this poster, we summarise the remote sensing work currently underway in Zimbabwe.
- La Télédetection passive basée sur la photointerpretation d’images satellitaires au Sénégal (FR)
(3 MB)
Cette technique revêt une importance considérable pour les recherches archéologiques au Sénégal. Elle nous a permis de détecter des irrégularités dans les paysages, susceptibles de révéler la présence de sites archéologiques, notamment dans des régions difficiles d’accès telles que les zones inondables du Sénégal, ainsi que dans les zones à forte insécurité, comme le sud du pays, qui jusque-là étaient très peu explorées par les chercheurs.
- Archaeological aerial prospection and fieldwork in the age of Google Earth: Notes from Botswana (EN)
(3 MB)
MAEASaM project with Botswana’s Department of the National Museum and Monuments (DNMM) embarked on a field verification exercise for archaeological sites that had been identified through systematic Google Earth survey. This overview was influenced by the results from the exercise.
Predictive modelling for potential archaeological sites
- Modélisation prédictive du potentiel des sites coquillers du Delta du Saloum à partir de la méthode “Analytic Hierarchy Process” (FR)
(1 MB)
De 1939 jusqu’à nos jours, les amas coquilliers du delta du Saloum ont suscité plusieurs inventaires et cartographies des sites. Cependant aucun inventaire ne parvient à répertorier les sites de manière systématique, les inventaires sont en général incomplets et fragmentairesLe modèle de prédiction apporte une alternative aux archéologues en favorisant notamment l’optimisation des travaux d’inventaires et de cartographies des sites.
- Predictive modelling of archaeological sites location in Mbeya region, Tanzania (EN)
(2 MB)
Predictive modelling is predominantly used in archaeology to assess the likelihood of the presence of archaeological sites on the landscape. The need to model areas of maximum likelihood is imperative as archaeological survey of vast areas is time consuming and resource-intensive. Here, we present a scenario of a predictive model of the Mbeya region in Tanzania where few archaeological sites are known.
Remote sensing case studies for monitoring and cultural heritage resource management
- Land Use and Land Cover mapping for cultural heritage management and monitoring (EN)
(892 KB)
Land Use and Land Cover (LULC) analysis is a critical tool for monitoring and preserving heritage sites in Kenya. These sites, which hold immense cultural and historical value, are increasingly threatened by environmental changes and human activities such as urbanization, agriculture, and deforestation. This poster highlights key LULC activities undertaken to monitor environmental impacts and human-induced alterations at various heritage sites across the continent.
- Remote sensing & GIS for site identification and monitoring (EN)
(536 KB)
Recent studies have begun addressing climate and infrastructural development challenges towards heritage sites by utilizing digital datasets and remote sensing methods to map heritage and assess changes in areas over time. This poster presents on case studies in eastern Africa using a comibination of remote sensing and GIS approaches for site identification and monitoring.
- Mapping the impact of petroleum exploration work on archaeological sites using satellite Imagery and QGIS – a case study from Kenya (Block 10A) (EN)
(12 MB)
Rapid development projects often pose a threat to archaeological sites. Our work focuses on observing and documenting the effects of such operations in areas rich with undocumented archaeology. In this case study we targeted an area of Northern Kenya to evaluate the impact of petroleum exploration work using Google Earth Pro and QGIS.
Digitisation of archaeological legacy records: examples from across Africa
- Digitising Kenya’s legacy data (EN)
(2 MB)
This poster presents on the current digitisation pipleline for paper-based maps and archaeological site reports housed at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK) in Nairobi, Kenya. It also summarises some of the practical work involved in the updating of these records through recent site verification missions along the Kenya coastline.
- Senegal: Legacy data and archaeological mapping (EN)
(9 MB)
Archaeological research in Senegal from 1891 to the present day has produced a wealth of information. This ‘legacy’ data is generally on paper, made up of mission reports, record sheets, site distribution maps, collection record books, and published and unpublished scientific documents. The digitisation of these documents, which are often fragile and obsolete, has long remained an urgent challenge, hence the importance of this workstream in the MAEASaM programme.
- Working with legacy data and remote sensing in Sudan (EN)
(1 MB)
Sudan, one of Africa’s largest countries, is rich in historical and cultural heritage, yet much of its archaeological record remains undocumented. Despite numerous excavations across the region, there is a significant gap in the systematic documentation and surveying of many areas. This lack of comprehensive data has left vast regions of Sudan’s archaeological landscape unexplored and under-represented. This poster details the work conducted thus far for the documentation and digitisation of sites in Sudan as part of the MAEASaM Project.
Developing Arches: a digital platform for heritage management
- Arches Heritage database (EN)
(2 MB)
Arches is an open source fully customisable database developed by the Getty Conservation Institute. There are two different versions of this database designed to meet the requirements of the heritage sector or the scientific community. In this poster we detail how Arches is structured and explore its core functions.
- Mapping archaeological concepts: developing a thesaurus for Arches database (EN)
(615 KB)
MAEASaM has developed a large and non-exhaustive collection of African archaeological terms that are used in the project’s Arches database. This poster traces some of the challenges and benefits of creating such diverse vocabulary collections in the context of archaeology and heritage management.