Postgraduate Researcher, Botswana
Tshekiso (Thabo) is a postgraduate researcher for the MAEASaM project based at the University of the Witwatersrand, Origins Centre. He holds an MSc in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and Remote Sensing.
In his professional life, Thabo’s biggest passion is learning about software and technology in archaeology, particularly coding, remote sensing and GIS as tools for advancing how we study past human civilisations. He has been fascinated with remote sensing and GIS techniques in archaeology from his undergraduate studies. After graduating, the wish to pursue geospatial sciences led him to the University of the Witwatersrand where he completed his MSc in GIS and remote sensing.
Thabo’s primary research focus is integrating a variety of traditional archaeological survey and mapping methods with advanced remote sensing and GIS methods to reconstruct past human life. To achieve that, he is interested in geophysical site mapping and 3D visualisation of archaeological landscapes, primarily employing a range of remote sensing technologies (including airborne and terrestrial LiDAR, multi-spectral remote sensing, and historical aerial photography) and GIS, UAV systems technology and computer aided learning techniques/machine learning.
It was in my second year at university that I became hooked on mapping, using both manual and digital mapping tools and remote sensing. It was fascinating to me how mapping ancient structures can reveal the way of life of past human communities. Now, it has become my lifelong passion to marry my interests in Earth observation imagery with archaeology. Every time, there is something new and fascinating to learn.
When he is not behind a screen pondering archaeology, Thabo enjoys long road trips without any destination in mind, as well as plane-spotting or tracking aircraft online.