Blog

Just before leaving for fieldwork investigating early Islamic sites on Bahrain as part of a long-running project, I gave a well-attended lecture at the Society of Antiquaries, London, about the BM research. The Bahrain research has become particularly relevant to BM as we are finding East African ceramics and, potentially, Ethiopian ceramics as well. Material evidence attesting the historical references to contacts between the Gulf and these regions.

– Tim

Yesterday I presented a paper at the African Archaeology Research Day held at the Institute of Archaeology, UCL. As always, the annual AARD conference was an interesting day filled with a variety of talks on archaeological research being carried out throughout the continent. I spoke about the work I have been conducting on using open source satellite imagery on Islamic sites in Ethiopia and the potential of its use across Africa.

– Nadia

Just published in the Journal of Islamic Archaeology is a new paper I wrote with Ahmed Zekaria from the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, Addis Ababa University, describing the results of the excavations in Harar in the 2018 field season. The full details are – Insoll, T., and Zekaria, A. 2019. The Mosques of Harar. An Archaeological and Historical Study. Journal of Islamic Archaeology 6: 81-107.

– Tim

Last week I met with around 20 researchers from a range of international institutions to form the LandCover6k working group for the African continent. The goal of the project is to use the archaeological record to provide information on past land cover and land use change. This will improve our understanding of current and future land-use change and how it effects the climate. The purpose of the workshop held at the University of Cambridge was to collate data and knowledge of land use in Africa through lists and maps of dated sites, this was followed by discussions in regional groups to create an initial conceptualisation of land use/cover through different time slices. I discussed Islamic archaeological sites in Ethiopia, along with Iron Age sites in West Africa.

– Nadia

I completed three weeks of small finds analysis in the laboratories of the ARCCH in Addis Ababa in August 2019. The material from Harlaa is fascinating and important new information was obtained through the study of the glazed Middle Eastern ceramics, Far Eastern storage jars, metal objects, crucibles, stone vessel fragments, marine shells, and glass vessel and bracelet fragments.

– Tim

The CfIA and the IAIS are hosting the inaugural IOW-Arch. Indian Ocean World Archaeology Conference on the 10th-11th January 2020. For details see here.

Papers are welcome on all aspects of the archaeology, material culture and heritage of the Indian Ocean (defined as from East Africa to Japan, including Australasia) from the first millennium BC to the contemporary era. Presentations should be in English and must not exceed 15 minutes.

Both speakers and non-speaking audience members are welcome to register. Registration costs £25 (£15 for students) and includes conference programme, drinks reception on the 10th, and refreshments and lunch on the 11th. To register, please email Hannah Parsons, the conference assistant, or register through the link above.

– Tim

I gave a lecture last week in the first Tsinghua University Areas Study Forum in Beijing on “Challenges in Heritage Presentation and Development. Contrasting Perspectives from Eastern Ethiopia and Bahrain”. I then travelled to Quanzhou in south-east China to visit the Dragon kiln site at Cizao on the Jingiaoyi Hill. This was a centre of ceramics production between the 10th-13th centuries and specialised in, notably Celadon and brown glazed wares. These were extensively traded via Indian Ocean networks, perhaps, though this is as yet unproven, to Ethiopia as well?
– Tim

As part of my research on the Becoming Muslim project I have been investigating the use of open source satellite imagery for monitoring and protecting Islamic period archaeological sites in Ethiopia. The results of this research can be found in the latest issue of the Journal of Field Archaeology and is open access. Please click here for full access the article.

– Nadia

I delivered a keynote lecture, “Continuity and Disruption in African Religions and Ritual Practices from an Archaeological Perspective”, including material from this project, at the European Association for the Study of Religions 2019 conference. This was held at the University of Tartu in Estonia. My lecture generated lots of interesting questions, and gratifyingly, the lengthiest applause I have ever received!

– Tim

Tim will be giving a lecture on the project results at the Society of Antiquaries London, Burlington House, Piccadilly, on Thursday 31st October at 5pm. For further details see here.