Heritage on the Edge: New Approaches to African Coastal Heritage

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PA-16 Mark Horton, Jon Henderson and Laura Basell

African countries currently have little capacity to protect or explore their rich coastal and marine heritage, yet it is under active threat from unprecedented levels of infrastructural development and the impacts of climate change. In recent years there has been a revival of interest in recording tangible and intangible material cultural heritage under threat from rapid development (e.g. UK initiatives such as the AHRC/GCRF Rising from the Depths Network and the British Museum’s Endangered Material Knowledge Programme (EMKP), plus a range of other projects). This has led to the application of a wide array of new approaches and techniques that move beyond more traditional archaeological excavations and surveys or ethnographic observations. There have also been notable efforts to move towards co-production of knowledge involving multi-national collaborators and local communities. This session seeks contributions from coastal research projects that involve: 1) the application of innovative recording and visualization techniques; 2) the co-creation of research with local stakeholders; and 3) challenge-led research aimed at creating social, economic, and/or cultural benefits. It will critically examine: a) the opportunities for situating archaeological research within a widely connected research framework; and b) the reciprocal benefits of engaging with the wider development agenda in Africa.