REFLECTIONS ON DIGITAL HERITAGE

AN INTERVIEW WITH DR EMMANUEL NDIEMA, HEAD OF EARTH SCIENCES AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF KENYA (NMK)

Fort Jesus located in Mombasa was constructed by the Portuguese between 1593 and 1596. It was built to establish influence over the Indian Ocean trade. The base of the fort was severely eroded before the protective wall was added. Photo taken by Okoko Ashikoye, 2020.

WE ASKED DR NDIEMA, HEAD OF THE DEPARTMENT OF EARTH SCIENCES AT THE NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF KENYA, AND KEY COLLABORATOR IN THE MAEASAM PROJECT, FOR HIS THOUGHTS ON THE BENEFITS OF DIGITISING THE RICH AND DIVERSE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD OF KENYA AND WHAT IT MEANS NOT ONLY TO HERITAGE MANAGERS AND ACADEMICS BUT TO LOCAL HERITAGE STAKEHOLDERS AND BROADER KENYAN SOCIETY. DR NDIEMA DRAWS ON HIS PAST AND CURRENT EXPERIENCES IN KENYAN HERITAGE AND OFFERS A UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE ON HOW GOING DIGITAL CAN TRANSFORM THE WAY POPULATIONS ENGAGE WITH MUSEUSMS ACROSS AFRICA.

Q: In your opinion, what are the benefits of going digital with an archive?

Digitisation has been a growing trend that has changed how researchers and the public interact with museum collections and how we experience museums. We have had several digitisation initiatives in the recent past with only a small part of the Archaeology and Palaeontology collection and documentation covered. We realised that the institution does not have unified data formats, and that there was a need to integrate all kinds of data from different Departments for better access. The challenge was and still is the required hardware, software, and enough internet bandwidth to handle the traffic.

Q. How do you envisage sustainable digital heritage in Kenya?

The world is going digital – we have no choice but to get on the ship. Where in the past everything was written down on paper, making records digital ensures that they are accessible to many people at the same time. Retrieval of data becomes easier, and in case of a fire, we do not lose all our records. But for it to be sustainable, our staff need to be thoroughly trained so that work will go on long after the MAEASaM project ends. The use of Remote Sensing is very useful with geographic data, and we know that there are many kinds of analysis that can be done with GIS. We have also realised that there are many types of free GIS software that are easily available for this kind of work, so we do not have to worry about cost.

The Vasco da Gama pillar in Malindi was built by the Portuguese explorer Vasco da Gama in 1498, possibly to give direction for other sailors following the sea route to India. The base of the pillar is being eroded causing it to tilt. A protective wall has been constructed around it. Photo taken by Okoko Ashikoye, 2015.

Q. One of the goals of the digital archaeological repository in Kenya is to identify and monitor risks to Kenya’s heritage sites. What risks do you see as the most critical and how do you think the repository will help NMK to protect Kenya’s heritage?

Climate change: The gradual rise in sea levels have led to the submerging of several sites close to the coastline. Closely related to this is the erosion of large monuments such as Fort Jesus in Mombasa and the Vasco da Gama Pillar in Malindi, whose bases have been eaten away by the sea waves and have had to be secured. No doubt several others have been damaged over the years, mainly because there is no monitoring system in place.

Infrastructure: In the last ten years, a great number of infrastructural projects have been initiated by the government. Exploration for oil in the north, the new port and associated infrastructure in Lamu, expansion of the road networks, new airports and dams have all put pressure on archaeological resources. Though in some cases a few sites may have been affected, the involvement of archaeologists in some of these projects has prevented their destruction, and many sites have been saved. In some cases, this has not been possible.

Changes in land use: Land that lay fallow in the 1960s has now been farmed and many pieces of land previously used for agriculture have now been converted into residential uses. Many sites have been affected through land use changes, especially because many are located on private land. The National Museums of Kenya cannot afford to buy all pieces of land holding archaeological resources and managing these also becomes a problem because many are not protected by law.

Q. In the current debate on decolonisation and the processes involved, do you think digital archaeology will help?

The new methods of analysis of geographical data may help us to look at old problems from a different angle and may help us to rewrite some of the facts about African history that had largely been written by early European travellers. Retelling the stories our own way, using new methods of analysis that show what the naked eye cannot see, will mean a lot to our history.

Digitisation helps to break barriers. It has the capacity to make works more visible to African scholars and increase awareness to those sites that were not quite known.

– Dr Emmanuel Ndiema

DIGITAL HERITAGE: 6 KEY POINTS

RESEARCH

Digitisation can be helpful for research because it is not always possible to directly access artefacts and real spaces immediately.

ACCESS

Enhances access to the information relating to sites, monuments, and artefacts for global audiences, so that access and searchability is no longer restricted to those who can visit the physical location. There is also the ability to access existing resources previously limited by their format.

BRAND

Brings increased visibility and virtual access to sites and monuments, hence inspiring new audiences and raising the profile of the institution. Many modern brands are rediscovering the value of their ‘brand heritage’.

SEARCHABILITY

It is much easier to retrieve information from digital databases.

PRESERVATION

Physical artefacts and the related documentation will not need to be physically handled as often, therefore reducing potential damage. Digital copies of records and 3D scans can be stored remotely, enhancing security of information for future generations.

INTEGRATION

Records can be integrated with digital systems and made readily discoverable within digital catalogues.

A NOTE ON THE NATIONAL MUSEUMS OF KENYA (NMK)

Entrance to the National Museums of Kenya in Nairobi. Photo taken by MAEASaM’s Angela Kabiru, 2021.

The National Museums of Kenya is the sole body mandated with managing Kenya’s rich archaeological resources. The museum in its present location in Nairobi was opened in 1930 and named after the former Kenya colony governor Sir Robert Coryndon. After independence in 1963 the building was renamed the National Museums of Kenya and has become a renowned research centre in both natural and cultural sciences. The Department of Earth Sciences now holds one of the largest collections in the world for archaeological and paleoanthropological remains related to human evolution.

Contribution by:

Angela Kabiru, MAEASaM Researcher for Kenya, BIEA, Nairobi.

Emmanuel Ndiema, Head of Department of Earth Sciences at the National Museums of Kenya (NMK), Nairobi.

Jane Humphris, MAEASaM Project Co-Investigator for Kenya and Sudan and Director of the BIEA, UK.