Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 1d

It’s Friday! It’s time for Heritage Above!
Do you know where we are?
Clue: This mysterious site is distinguished by its spectacular sand-built funerary monuments, erected between 400 and 1500 AD.
Any idea? Share your answers in the comments! #Heritagefromabove #UNESCO #Quiz #Traditionalknowledge

1

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 2d

The MAEASaM team is in Dakar, Senegal for the 9th AfriGEO Symposium!
Represented by Dr. Pamela Ochungo, Nicolas Sagna & Lamine Badji, we’re sharing how geospatial tools help protect Africa’s endangered archaeological sites & monuments.
#AfriGEO2025 #MAEASaM #Geospatial #Dakar #Senegal

2

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 3d

Congratulations @Paul Montgomery your Answer is correct. Al Khandaq village, was a key Nubian town. A New Kingdom site with a temple of Amenhotep, later a Makurian fort and monastery. It thrived as a Nile port (17th–20th c.), linking west Sudan. Once a key district, it declined by mid-20th century.

1

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 5d

Fort Bullen in the Gambia River is built by the British in 1826. Its role as a witness to the Atlantic process led to its inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2003 as part of the Kunta Kinteh Island and Associated Sites. #UNESCO #Africanheritage #ICOMOS #Forts #Senegambia #IFAN

Image 1: Aerial view of Fort Bullen. Copyright © Gambia Tourism Board

Image 2: One of the cannons of the fort's defensive guns. Copyright © 2025 — Gambiana

2

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 8d

It’s time for #HeritageFromAbove
Do you know where we are today? Hint: Its ruins were superimposed by a Makurian defensive fort (1250-1340 AD), a monastery of St. George in which the Nubian King Solomon was buried. Send your answers in the comments below and as usual good luck! #Quiz

1 2 3

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 9d

Beyond access. Beyond data. Beyond participation.
Join the Swedigarch Inspirational Lecture with our MAEASaM Project Manager on Power, Participation & Digital Heritage. For more Information please follow the link below: swedigarch.se/index.php/ev...

2 3

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 10d

The answer is: Harar Jugol, in eastern Ethiopia, is a walled Muslim city built between the 13th–16th centuries. Known as Islam's fourth holiest city, it has 82 mosques, 102 shrines, and unique townhouses famed for their stunning interior design.

1

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 12d

World Heritage Sites #DidYouKnow?

#Africa’s First #WHS: Gorée Island (Senegal), inscribed in 1978.
Africa’s Largest WHS: Botswana’s Okavango Delta spans over 20,000 km².
Africa’s Smallest WHS: Kunta Kinteh Island (The Gambia) is tiny at 0.3 km² #MAEASaM #Africaheritage #Culturaltreasures #Heritage

2

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 15d

It’s time for #HeritageFromAbove
Do you know where we are today?
This fortified historic town is perched on a plateau in the eastern part of the country. Its walls, built between the 13th and 16th centuries, enclose a sacred Muslim city
Do you know where we are?
Answer in the comments below

1 2

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 15d

Are you interested in remote sensing and geospatial analyses in the context of African heritage and its future monitoring? If so, MAEASaM project has a new position!
Applications are now open until 17 October 2025
To apply : www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/researc...

2 3

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 19d

The answer is the site of Fortaleza de São José da Amura, in Bissau, Guinea-Bissau. Did you know that the fort was constructed by the Portuguese for defence and has the mausoleum of Amilcar Cabral?

1

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 19d

Around the confluence of the Limpopo and the Motloutse rivers, sits the Mmamagwa complex. It was once part of the royal dwellings of Leopard’s Kopje Dynasty rulers – the forerunner of the Mapungubwe Empire.

5

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 22d

It’s that time for #HeritageFromAbove

Do you know where we are today?

This is a national monument that was renovated in the 1970s and is linked to the nation's independence movement.
Do you know where we are?
Answer in the comments below and as always good luck!

2 3

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 26d

the answer is : the site of Lamu Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site at the Kenyan Coast. Did you know that it’s the oldest Swahili town still alive today?

1

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 26d

Designed by Gerard Moerdijk and commissioned in 1937, the Merensky Library at the University of Pretoria drew inspiration from Great Zimbabwe. The clearest example of this influence is the replicas of the stone eagle sculptures found at #GreatZimbabwe.
#AfricanHeritage #CulturalHeritage#archaeology

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · 29d

It's time for Heritage from above!

Can you guess the location of this historic site?

Hint: It’s one of the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa.

Drop your guesses below
#AfricanHeritage #UNESCO #HeritageFromAbove

2 5

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Sep 10

The #MAEASaM team, together with participants from Lamu, visited Manda and Takwa Ruins on Manda Island. They demonstrated how to: Take coordinates using GPS, collect site data with KoboToolbox, and fly drones to capture aerial imagery of the ruins.

Heritage meets technology in #Lamu!

6

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Sep 8

Day 1 of training in Lamu, Kenya! 🌍

Dr. Pamela Ochungo & Angela Kabiru led sessions on using **Google Earth Pro** for detecting and monitoring archaeological sites, plus digitising legacy data. An inspiring start to the week-long heritage documentation programme!

#MAEASaM #Heritage #Lamu

1 4

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Sep 8

The answer is: the site of Chibuene, near Vilankulos Bay in Mozambique. Did you know that the site is made up of several shell middens, occupational areas and burials?

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Sep 5

It’s time for #HeritageFromAbove
This site is listed with another on the World Heritage Tentative list and provides some of the richest evidence for exchange items travelling along the Indian Ocean exchange network during the mid-first millennium AD.
Answer where we are in the comments below

1 2

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Sep 3

*CAA UK 2025 Call for Papers*
For more details visit the website:
uk.caa-international.org/2025/09/01/c...

2

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Sep 3

The answer is: The Tata of Alboury Ndiaye was an impressive fortification built in the capital of Yang-Yang, the last royal city of the Djolof Empire. This tata housed the dwellings of the Bourba, his wives, and the queen mother.

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Sep 1

Last week, the MAEASaM team from @universityofpretoria with postgraduate students from the Archaeology department did a deep dive into the project’s Arches Demo database. It was super exciting to meet with all of the students on the day!
#Archesdatabase #Demo #Archaeology#Mapping #Africanheritage

1 3

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Aug 29

It’s Friday… which means it’s time for #HeritageFromAbove!
Can you guess where we’re headed today?

Drop your answers in the comments!
#HeritageFromAbove #Quiz #SatelliteImagery #GoogleEarth

1 1

MAEASaM @maeasamproject.bsky.social · Aug 25

The Senegal River was once a vital gateway into the heart of the country, starting from Saint-Louis, a former colonial trading post and Atlantic port.
Along its banks, river stops became bustling hubs of transport, supply, and exchange: gum arabic, peanuts, and gold.