iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 09/10/2026

See where we are in this week’s #heritagefromabove 🛰️ Today we zoom in on one of Africa’s oldest national parks, covering 10,291 km². Established in 1935 It is also on #UNESCO’s Tentative List of World Heritage Sites. Can you guess where we are?🤔 Send your answers in the comments below! 👇

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Digital Elevation Models (DEMs) are more than just elevation maps. When combined with hydrological analysis, they can help us understand how water has shaped landscapes, how ancient communities may have interacted with them, and how water-related processes can affect archaeological heritage today.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Today, we zoom in on a site that reflects a key phase in the development, movement and territorial expansion of the Bangwaketse polity during the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Drop your answer in the comments below! #SatelliteImagery #GoogleEarth #AfricanHeritage

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 28/09/2026

This week, we’re starting a new #GroundingHeritage theme: #FoodStorage.we’re looking at serala, a Setswana term for a grain storage bin used in Botswana. A serala provided temporary storage for grain while it awaited threshing. #AfricanArchaeology #Botswana

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

It’s time for this week’s #HeritageFromAbove! Dating back to 1885, this remarkable heritage site was restored in 2018 and reopened in 2019 with a historic inaugural journey. Think you know where we are this week? Drop your answer in the comments below

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Do you know where we are today #HeritageFromAbove? 🔎 This site shows human occupation dating back over 20,000 years—but is best known for one of Africa’s most intriguing archaeological artefacts. Tell us in the comments! 👇 #AfricanHeritage #Wherearewe #HeritageQuiz #Satelliteimagery

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 14/09/2026

#GroundingHeritage - Kasongo-Tongoni (Old Kasongo) is a major 19th-century ivory and slave-trade hub in present-day #DRC, linked Central Africa to East African networks. #Archaeology reveals possible defensive features around merchant houses... ➡️ doi-org.uplib.idm.oclc.org/10.1080/0067...

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 04/09/2026

Where are we in this week’s #HeritageFromAbove? 🔎 This remarkable site was once a thriving trade centre and administrative capital of a kingdom between the Zambezi and Limpopo valleys. Can you name it? 🤔 Drop your answer below! 👇 📸 Botswana National Museum

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 31/08/2026

At Domboshaba, Botswana, dry-stone walls did more than defend. They projected power, protected royal privacy and controlled access to the interior. Perched near the Makgadikgadi salt pans, this Khami-phase site was also a key regional trade centre. 🔎 #AfricanHeritage #Didyouknow #Botswana

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 05/08/2026

From Pretoria to Maputo, the team shared research on mapping African archaeology at #PANAF2026. We're taking a short break until September—see you soon with more updates, fieldwork highlights, and exciting news from the MAEASaM Project!

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 16/07/2026

Highlights from #ASAPA2026 in Mbombela, South Africa! 🌍🗺️ Our session, Mapping African Archaeology: Past and Present, sparked engaging discussions on archaeological cartography—from preserving historic paper maps to using airborne technologies to document African heritage.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 13/07/2026

Last week, our workshop on Constructing Heritage Databases from conceptualisation to implementation was held at ASAPA 2026 in Mpumalanga, South Africa. Thanks to all participants who joined on the day! #Workshop #AfricanHeritage #Databases #ASAPA2026

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 08/07/2026

Do you or someone you know have expertise⬇️ Archaeological research, field documentation & survey, satellite imagery analysis & GIS in Africa Deadline 26 July 2026 🔗 Find out more tinyurl.com/GISFellow #jobopportunity #AfricanHeritage #UCLArchaeology #RemoteSensing #GIS #AfricanArchaeology

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 03/07/2026

🌍See where we are in this week’s #HeritageFromAbove 🛰️ Today we zoom to an important site that has historically been regarded as the capital of a successor state… 🔎but do you know its name? Send your answer in the comments ⬇️ #AfricanHeritage #GoogleEarth #Wherearewe

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 29/06/2026

Tata structures in Senegal continued... These defensive structures became widespread in Senegal and were central to the socio-political and economic interests of pre-colonial West African states. A prime example is the tata of Maba Diakhou Bâ. #GroundingHeritage #Tata #SenegalArchaeology

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 26/06/2026

Today we journey to a place that has transformed our understanding of human evolution. This remarkable landscape preserves some of the world's oldest evidence of our ancestors, with fossils and ancient stone tools dating back millions of years... 🔎 Send your answer in the comments

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 22/06/2026

📢Fieldwork in action! The MAEASaM team with #DBNMM conducted a 10 day field #rockart recording trip to the renowned #TsodiloHills in northern Botswana. #Collaboration #AfricanHeritage #Botswana #Dstretch #Fieldwork

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 19/06/2026

🌍See where we are in this week’s #HeritageFromAbove 🛰️ Today we zoom to a unique site, the most massive stone-walled construction in West Africa dating back the early 16th Century…🔎but do you know its name? Send your answer in the comments ⬇️ #GoogleEarth #AfricanHeritage #Didyouknow

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 15/06/2026

Bara perimeter wall is one of several defensive earthworks associated with Oyo-Ile, the former capital of the Oyo Empire, southwestern Nigeria. The enclosure dates between c. AD 1620 and 1837 and formed part of the broader defensive landscape of the Oyo capital. #GroundingHeritage #Didyouknow #Oyo

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 10/06/2026

MAEASaM Project held a three-day archival digitisation workshop at NMK and BIEA (27–29 May 2026),bringing together participants from Kenya, Tanzania,and Ethiopia.The training focused on digitisation workflows,metadata, digital preservation,and the management of archaeological and heritage archives.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 08/06/2026

Last week, MAEASaM's Friederike Jürcke joined the CLARE CoHeRe workshop at the University of Cologne, discussing #climate change impacts on heritage and how heritage can inform adaptation policies. She also led a #QGIS session on data management and visualisation. #MAEASaM #CulturalHeritage

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 05/06/2026

See where we are in this week’s #HeritageFromAbove Today we zoom to an important site that houses many fine-line rock paintings made by, but do you know its name? Send your answer in the comments. Stay tuned to find out more! #HeritageQuiz #Satelliteimagery #GoogleEath #Africanheritage #Rockart

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 02/06/2026

Loopholed structures around Mount Fura in Zimbabwe are linked to the Mutapa State (ca. AD1450–1900). Built along rugged ridges and hilltops, these stone enclosures may have served as fortifications during periods of conflict and political instability.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 29/05/2026

Ready for this week’s #HeritageFromAbove? 🌍 Can you spot the feature… 🔎 These unique funerary features stand out in the wider region. Let us know your answer below — bonus points if you can name the site! #GoogleEarth #AfricanHeritage #WhereAreWe Image credits: © IFAN and ©Photo L. Laporte

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 25/05/2026

A step-by-step guide of #digitising the #UNESCO site of Gorée Island: 1. georeferencing a historical map onto satellite imagery, 2. delineating the property boundary and buffer zone, 3. digitizing the sub-sites, 4. linking to metadata, and saving the data. Explore tdb.maeasam.org for Gorée Island

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 22/05/2026

The week has flown by, which can only mean one thing…time for #HeritageFromAbove This site forms part of four larger archaeological sites in two countries, collectively featuring 93 stone circles...know where we are? Answer in the comments and good luck! Photo credit: Ikiwaner, 2008, CC-BY-SA-3.0

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 18/05/2026

📢 Fort Bullen of The Gambia Part of #UNESCOWorldHeritageSite of Kunta Kinteh Island and Related Sites, Fort Bullen is in Barra, near the Gambia River mouth and built in 1826 as part of the abolition of the Atlantic Slave Trade. #AfricanHeritage #Archaeology #DefenceStructure

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 15/05/2026

It's Friday...time for #HeritageFromAbove! Do you know where we are today? Remember to answer in the comments, and as always good luck!! #Heritagefromabove #Googleearth #DRC #Quiz

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Using NDVI, we mapped vegetation-based visibility thresholds across 12 MAEASaM countries to identify where archaeological survey conditions are obscured, seasonal, partial, or highly visible. The project uses MODIS NDVI, Google Earth Engine, and QGIS workflows. #Encodingheritage #Googleearth

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 08/05/2026

It’s Friday…time for #HeritageFromAbove 👀 Do you know where we are today? Hint: Once a 19th-century German fortress on the Swahili coast, the coral stone walls now house a luxury retreat. Can you guess where we are? Can you figure out where we are? Drop your answer in the comments below. #Quiz

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 05/05/2026

Celebrating #Africa’sWorldHeritageDay 🌍 MAEASaM team share personal African heritage connections by choosing objects, places, or ideas that represent identity, memory, and tradition. These symbols connect us to ancestors, preserve stories, and pass cultural knowledge across generations. #MAEASaMteam

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 04/05/2026

The Old Fort in #StoneTown #Zanzibar, with its thick coral stone walls, rounded bastions, crenellations, and grand entrance gateway, was not constructed for defence. Instead, it was built to control trade and display power. Explore more on the MAEASaM Demo database - tdb.maeasam.org

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 01/05/2026

Time for #HeritageFromAbove Where are we? Do you know Hint: Not all of Sudan’s heritage lies on land. This protected site is home to coral reefs, sea turtles, dugongs, and the Red Sea’s only atoll-like reef system. Any guesses? Can you figure out where we are? #Africanarchaeology #Quiz

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 24/04/2026

In the Rift I like to stay, Where ancient tools still shout “we’re here today!” Handaxes nap in dusty ground, While factory hums make modern sound. White powder drifts, old secrets mix— Can you name this spot? It’s quite the fix! #Heritagefromabove #HumanOrigins #AfricanArchaeology #Riftvally

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 20/04/2026

#SiyuFort on Pate Island is part of the Swahili coast, an African network of settlements shaped by trade and cultural exchange. Built by local communities to resist Omani expansion, it reflects indigenous architecture, autonomy, and resistance along the coast. #SiyuFort #SwahiliCoast#Museumsofkenya

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 17/04/2026

Time for #HeritageFromAbove Where are we? Do you know One of the last remaining examples of primary high forests in Nigeria. Attests to the once common practice of constructing sacred groves outside all settlements. Can you figure out where we are? #Heritagefromabove #Africanarchaeology #Quiz

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 15/04/2026

Join us for #AfricanWorldHeritageDay2026! 🎉 On May 7, enjoy a hybrid event with flash talks and a guest lecture by Dr. Siyakha Mguni. Register now to secure your spot: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/maeasam-di... #MAEASaMAnnualLecture #Africanarchaeology #AfricanHeritage

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

This is how heritage becomes data. The result is not just a map, but a dataset that can be queried, compared, shared, and preserved for future research and conservation planning. #Encodingheritage #RemotesensingInaction #GIS #LiDAR #Africanarchaeology #Digitalarchaeology

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

The DEM is exported with LAS files and analysed in QGIS, where terrain derivatives such as hill shade and singleband pseudocolor are combined to enhance subtle surface variations. These visualisations reveal archaeological features invisible in satellite imagery.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 13/04/2026

What does it take to transform a forgotten landscape into structured archaeological data? At the German Fort site in Gashaka Gumti National Park, Taraba State, the process begins with LiDAR sensor data, capturing millions of elevation points across a heavily vegetated terrain.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 10/04/2026

It’s Friday… time for #HeritageFromAbove 👀 Do you know where we are today? Hint: The site is a tradition regional centre of the second millennium AD. Can you guess where we are? drop your answer in the comments below and as usual Good luck! #Heritagefromabove #Africanheritage #Quiz

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 06/04/2026

Maputo Fortress, built by the Portuguese in the 18th century, began as a trading post in Catembe before moving to Maputo Bay. It faced repeated looting due to European rivalries over trade and control. Today, it serves as a military museum and hosts cultural events. #Mozambique #AfricanArchaeology

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

It’s Friday… time for #HeritageFromAbove 👀 Do you know where we are today? The site known for its sophisticated irrigation and cultivation system that built by a farming community Can you guess where we are? #Heritagefromabove #Africanheritage #satelliteimegary #Googleearth #Quiz

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 01/04/2026

Moving Day with MAHSA & MAEASaM - Cambridge Big move for MAHSA & MAEASaM! We’ve settled into our new office in the McDonald Institute, bringing our teams closer as we continue mapping and protecting archaeological heritage. New space, fresh energy, and the same commitment to uncovering the past.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

A big thank you to our wonderful visitors and team members. And an even bigger thanks to the Department of Archaeology and Lydia Clough for organising such a great day ✨ 📸 Department of Archaeology #CambridgeFestival #Cambridge #Archaeology #Outreach #Heritage #SouthAsia #Africa

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

MAEASaM had kids assembling a giant jigsaw of Africa and writing their names in an ancient alphabet. And the MAHSA team set up an interactive sandbox projecting contours and wildlife, creating a living map before your eyes!

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 31/03/2026

We brought mapping to the masses last weekend at the fantastic Cambridge Festival Family Weekend. Over 1,000 visitors joined us at the University Centre where our project teams joined the department to share interactive archaeological experiences with families.

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 30/03/2026

MAEASaM researchers-BIEA, Cindy Waweru and Keith Murangiri digitised and georeferenced historical maps using QGIS, converting Arc 1960 to WGS84. This enables alignment with modern data, supporting landscape analysis, site relocation, and heritage monitoring. 🔗 Learn more: maeasam.org/georeferenci...

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 27/03/2026

It’s Friday… time for #HeritageFromAbove Do you know where we are today? This massive stone structure has stood for over 2,500 years… long before many of the region’s better-known sites Its precise geometry is still clearly visible from above. Can you guess where we are?#Satelliteimagery #Quiz

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MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 23/03/2026

#GroundingHeritage takes us to Ethiopia’s mountains. The rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and fortified sites like Fasil Ghebbi reflect how defence, faith, and landscape intertwine in resilient heritage systems. #DefenceSystems #AfricanArchaeology #Ethiopia

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