iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 18h

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.

020

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

000

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

010

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

000

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 21/09/2026

🌍 Vous travaillez avec des sites archéologiques en Afrique ? Qu'est-ce qui vous aiderait à les protéger ? Donnez votre avis ! ✅ Aucune expérience requise · ⏱️ ~15 min · 🔒 anonyme · 🇬🇧🇫🇷🇵🇹 tinyurl.com/maeasamsurve...

tinyurl.com

Soutenir la protection du patrimoine archéologique grâce aux outils numériques et à la télédétection en Afrique

Le projet MAEASaM développe des outils pratiques pour aider les professionnel(le)s du patrimoine à surveiller les menaces pesant sur les sites archéologiques à travers l'Afrique. Ce court questionnair...

100

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

000

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...

000

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 11/09/2026

Well done if you answered Domboshaba in north eastern Botswana! Did you know that this site was originally occupied towards the end of the Great Zimbabwe period (1250-1450 AD).

000

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

100

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

020

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 26/08/2026

🌍 Work with archaeological sites in Africa? Take our survey! Help shape new tools for monitoring threats to heritage from space — built around your needs. 💬 EN/FR/PT · ⏱️ ~15 min · ✅ anonymous. No tech experience needed. tinyurl.com/maeasamsurvey

tinyurl.com

Supporting Archaeological Heritage Protection through Digital Tools and Remote Sensing in Africa

The MAEASaM project is developing practical tools to help heritage professionals monitor threats to archaeological sites across Africa. This short survey asks about your working practices, the threats...

022

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!

010

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.

020

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

021

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

011

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

010

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

000

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

020

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

020

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

000

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

010

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.

020

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

020

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

000

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.

030

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

000

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

Well done to those who guessed - The Kerbatch stones circle, in the Nianija district of Gambia! Did you know that these megaliths, along with their associated burial mounds, present a vast sacred landscape accumulated over more than 1,500 years.

000

Reposted by MAEASaM

MAHSA Project @mahsa-project.bsky.social · 27/05/2026

Level up your GIS and digital heritage skills with the MAHSA & MAEASaM YouTube channel 🗺️💻 Explore our growing collection of playlists designed to build foundational knowledge in digital heritage management: www.youtube.com/@mahsa_maeas... @maeasamproject.bsky.social

062

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

030

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

Well done to everyone who guessed! 👏 📍 We were in Boma Once the capital of the Congo Free State, Boma’s location along the Congo River shaped its role as a key administrative and trading hub.

000

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

100

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

022

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

100

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 14/05/2026

The answer is: The Old Boma in Mikindani is a 19th-century colonial building on Tanzania’s Swahili coast. Built with coral stone and lime mortar, it served German and later British administrations until 1947. Restored in the 1990s, it is now a school and luxury hotel in a protected historic town

100

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

030

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

Answer is :Sanganeb Marine National Park and Dungonab Bay–Mukkawar Island Marine National Park is Sudan’s first natural UNESCO site on the Red Sea coast, home to the Red Sea’s only atoll-like coral reef, mangroves, and rich marine life including sharks, dolphins, turtles, manta rays, and dugongs.

020

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

100

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

010

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

040

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

130

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 30/04/2026

The answer is: Kariandusi Prehistoric Site, near Lake Elementaita in Kenya’s Rift Valley, dates back 700,000–1 million years. Known for Acheulean handaxes, it highlights early human ingenuity. One of East Africa’s first excavated sites, it’s now a museum preserving deep human history.

011

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

The answer is: Osun-Osogbo Sacred Grove is one of the last primary high forests in southern Nigeria, near Osogbo. It contains shrines, sculptures, and art honoring Osun, the Yoruba fertility goddess. A key cultural site, it symbolizes Yoruba identity and sacred traditions.

011

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

111

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

000

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

111

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 16/04/2026

The answer is: Manyikeni, a 2nd-millennium AD Zimbabwe Tradition site in Mozambique, lies 52 km west of Vilanculos. A stone enclosure and settlement linked to Great Zimbabwe, it reflects coastal trade ties. Finds like beads, gold, shells, and rare imports show wide contacts and social hierarchy.

000

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

000

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

020