By Amanuel Beyin, Ahmed Hamid Nassr, and Parth Randhir Chauhan
https://www.newsweek.com/clues-ancient-migration-route-firs…
From the Leakey Foundation:
Applications are now being accepted for the Francis H. Brown African Scholarship. This fund will provide up to $25,000 for scholars from Ethiopia, Eritrea, & Kenya for research in geology and botany related to the study of human origins. https://t.co/Jh10OUP4Du … https://t.co/0WC2q21jVx
"Ancient DNA Illuminates Pastoralism’s Rise in Africa"
A new study pieces together clues to the multistep process behind the origins of livestock herding in sub-Saharan Africa.
Sapiens.org story by M. Prendergast & E. Sawchuk
This article was originally published at The Conversation and has been republished under Creative Commons.
https://www.sapiens.org/arc…/pastoralism-ancient-dna-africa/
Archaeology of the mobile pastoralists of Lothagam North Pillar Site, Lake Turkana, Kenya
Scholarly article by Hildebrand et al. (2018) published in PNAS: A Monumental cemetery built by eastern Africa's first herders near Lake Turkana, Kenya
Significant science media attention (New York Times, National Geographic, Smithsonian.com etc.) concerning archaeology of Lothagam North Pillar Site in Kenya.
Science media stories:
New York Times story: "Ancient Burial Pits Reveal Sophisticated Rituals"
Obituaries for Rodolfo Fattovich (1945-2018), influential scholar of the archaeology of Northeastern Africa and the Horn
Archaeologist Professor Rodolfo Fattovich passed away in Rome, Italy on March 23, 2018. Links to three obituaries from colleagues and former students appear below. The University of Naples L'Orientale, where Rodolfo Fattovich taught and conducted research for more than 40
years, will host an event on September 25, 2018 honoring his life and his many contributions to the archaeology of Northeastern Africa and the Horn. More information about this event will be posted here soon.
Photo Credit: CFEE
Victoria and Albert Museum offers to return on loan material culture taken from Ethiopia by British troops in 1868
BBC story concerning the offer to return on loan material culture taken from Ethiopia by British troops in 1868:
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-43642265
The University of Cape Town's Zamani Project's 3D Reconstructions of Ancient African Architecture and Cultural Heritage Sites.
Huffington Post Story on Zamani Project's 3D Virtual Modeling Work of Ancient African Architecture and Cultural Heritage Sites:
New from Olorgesailie Basin, Kenya
Excellent summary by Ann Gibbons and very useful video by AAAS of Olorgesailie Basin, Kenya research led by Rick Potts and Alison Brooks and published today in the journal Science.
Professor Innocent Pikirayi will be ambassador for Antiquity
The journal Antiquity has announced that Innocent Pikirayi, professor of archaeology at the University of Pretoria, will be its first Antiquity ambassador. Robert Witcher, Antiquity's new editor, states in the February issue of Antiquity that the journal looks forward to working with Innocent Pikirayi "to support more African scholars to publish their research in Antiquity and, in the process, to bring to our readers a more representative sample of world archaeology and a greater range of voices."
UNSOM Laas Geel rock art site video on Twitter
See the United Nations Assistance Mission in Somalia's short video clip of UNSOM visit to the Laas Geel rock art site.
https://twitter.com/UNSomalia/status/952489198078001152
Statement by the ASA Board of Directors regarding President Trump's Remarks
From the African Studies Association:
The African Studies Association—a scholarly organization composed of over 2,000 university academics based in the United States, Europe and Africa – is outraged at President Trump’s characterization of African states as “shithole countries.” He is widely reported to have made this comment in conversation with members of Congress. It is shocking that such crude racist expressions of xenophobia are now part and parcel of executive office discourse. Not only do President Trump’s words disparage the people of an entire continent, on issues of immigration they defy reality. According to the last U.S. Census Bureau report, Africans account for only 4% of the total foreign-born population in the United States, but the educational attainment of that 4% far exceeds the average of all of those born outside of the U.S. Indeed, 41% of African residents in the U.S. hold bachelors degrees or higher. Nigerians, who have been singled out by the President on previous occasions, are among the most educated group in the U.S., with some 61% holding bachelors degrees and 17% masters degrees. We strongly encourage those in and around the Oval Office to do their homework and urge them and all levels of government to acknowledge the enormous contributions that African immigrants have made to the economic and social fabric of the United States.
https://www.census.gov/…/publicatio…/2014/acs/acsbr12-16.pdf
http://www.universityworldnews.com/article.php…
http://www.pewtrusts.org/…/growing-african-immigrant-popula…
https://www.migrationpolicy.org/…/sub-saharan-african-immig…
Recent CNN Story Concerning The Zamani Project
Obituary for Pioneering Africanist Archaeologist, John R. F. Bower
Professor John Bower passed away on December 5, 2017. For obituary see link to Davis Enterprise below:
John R. F. Bower
May 5, 1935 — Dec. 5, 2017
Cultural sites in Angola, Eritrea, and South Africa added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List
See UNESCO World Heritage Centre page:
The History of Africa with Zeinab Badawi airing on BBC World News in July and August
Preview of series available on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXD8_q66Bvs
Also check out episode descriptions and information on how the nine-part film series is based on the UNESCO’s "General History of Africa" book collection:
Field Manual For African Archaeology Published
New free publication from the Royal Museum for Central Africa:
Field Manual For African Archaeology
Edited by A. Smith Livingstone, E. Cornelissen, O. Gosselain, S. MacEachern.
Tervuren: RMCA, series ‘Documents on Social Sciences and Humanities’, 317 p.
ISBN (EN): 978-9-4922-4427-7
ISBN (FR): 978-9-4922-4428-4
Free digital version available on the Royal Museum for Central Africa website's publications page:
http://www.africamuseum.be/resea…/publications/…/online/fmaa
Ancient city of Harlaa in Eastern Ethiopia investigated by archaeologists
Excavation of 12th Century mosque structure at Harlaa. Photo: T. Insoll, University of Exeter.
An archaeological team from Exeter University in the United Kingdom and Ethiopia have begun mapping and excavating what may be the ancient settlement and trading center of Harlaa in Hararge, Ethiopia.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-40301959