Fatal Archaeology: Scaring Experiences in Field Archaeology
Abstract
It is very rare for African archaeologists to have chances to work in different Africancountries in archaeological fieldworks. Such opportunities have occurred to many non-
Africans due to funding resources available to them. I have had such chances under
the auspices of the African Archaeology Network between 2001 and 2010. In some of
the fieldworks, I experienced difficult and threatening conditions, with some being
tantamount to fatality. Glimpses of those experiences are provided here. They include
those of Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania and Nigeria. Archaeologists are used to
reporting about the academic part of fieldworks with rare mentioning of other aspects
of archaeological experiences. In presenting about my fatal archaeology, academic
aspects that led to those threatening experiences are provided, also with work results
and publications. In my first time in Madagascar, my life threat was that of cholera;
and in the other, it was high blood pressure caused partly by the lack of flight to catch
up with my home return flight via Nairobi. This caused me to travel by a hired minibus
on a long road of dangerous state in a very high blood pressure condition. In the
Comoros, the problem was that of sailing across a deep sea in a time of enormous winds
and waves in a small boat of only three people. In Nigeria, the problem was that of
being attacked by people with machetes and spears. In Tanzania, at Mgongo in Kilwa,
the problem was of a game guard shooting a hippo carelessly in a situation that he
could have killed one of us.
References
Past
Conclusion
Archaeology fieldworks contribute knowledge about the human past. Some of
these fieldworks are done in very difficult times and places. Committed
archaeologists are required for this kind of discipline. Information on what is
archaeology, and the difficult times and places archaeologists go through, need to
be made available to those showing interest to join the discipline, and those
recruiting the youth to study archaeology. Also, funding agencies should know
about this kind of archaeological problem in places like in Africa to understand
how their support is used and viewed. The problem should be a forum for this kind
of information to be published.
Acknowledgements
I may not be able to acknowledge everyone who made me go through the kind of
experiences I obtained from my different archaeological research in different countries
as reported above. Professor Peter Schmidt and Mr Jonathan Karoma recruited me in
archaeology and took me to Kilwa Mgongo to be trained using funds from the Caltex
Petroleum Corporation and the Ford foundation, via the foundation for African
Prehistory and Archaeology (FAPA). The same was used to fund my MA scholarship at
the Brown University in the USA. Professor Paul Sinclair and Sida-SAREC Sweden
provided the scholarship for my PhD at the Uppsala University, Sweden. They also
accepted me as the general coordinator of 13 African countries in archaeology.
Subsequently, I managed to visit and work with my colleagues and students in different
African counties. Thanks also to the Doctors in Madagascar for treating me when I was
sick. My gratitude also to Prof. Chantal Radimilahy and Dr Rasolondrainy (Nado) for
working with me in Madagascar. Thanks too, to Prof. Pamela Eze-Uzomaka, Drs,
Upatas, Urama and several others for working with me in Nigeria. Similarly,
appreciations to Dr Ibouroi, and Ali Tabibou and his colleagues for working with me in
the Comoros. Lastly, I apologize for any issue in this paper that may be offensive to
you, my colleagues and friends.
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