African Archaeology in Times of Climate Change Crisis

[Music] foreign distinguish the scholars I'm very glad to introduce shortly Friedan kirotem bugori whose keynote lecture will discuss African archeology in times of climate change crisis she is probably all of you know already from our program is a Kenyan archaeologist the presently senior research scientist at the national museums of Kenya and she built her strong research profile through a vast range of experience and collaborations from 2018 to 2022 she was president of the pan-african archaeological Association and is a former director of the British Institute in Eastern Africa her research has a wide spectrum focusing both on the early Iron Age later on age at an archeology of traditional play in Pottery pastoralist societies and the use of water and so on and so on and climate change obviously to quote only some of the issues uh all these studies are inserted in a perspective linking the past and the present underlining the importance of the knowledge of the past and of the changes and Transformations for the understanding and managing of modern challenges in this sense and for this conference this lecture I stress her involvement in the discussion of the effects of climate change with a focus on African Societies in 2021 she was one of the scholars initiating the research group on social archeology of climate change and contributed to the kickoff meeting statement issued in Kiel the link between climate Society past and present is therefore a specific subject of her engaged research and we are willing to hear more now thank you thank you Alexandra for that beautiful introduction I'm truly humbled ladies and gentlemen distinguished colleagues good afternoon please allow me to take this opportunity to thank the organizers of this conference for giving me the opportunity to come and talk to you today I'm truly honored I would also like to thank them very much for facilitating my travel and for making my stay here comfortable my talk today is a call for action for us as archaeologists to take our rightful place in the ongoing climate change debates as such what I'm talking about is not just about the sites and what have been what I've been doing but actually Awards we need to do as archaeologists I started before you today to address a topic of utmost importance the intricate relationship between climate change and archeology as we delve into the depths of the past to uncover the mysteries of civilizations long gone we find that these ancient Echoes Can Shed light on the challenges we face in the present and in the future I address you not as an archaeologist just an archaeologist RMS Parts in climate change debates but as a person who has witnessed critical challenges our planet is facing due to the advanced consequences of climate change Africa is on the receiving end from wildfires to droughts and to the rising sea level this is happening in all the continents the only difference is that Africa is quite vulnerable that said archaeologists relevance to the ongoing discourse on climate change is undeniable by deciphering how ancient civilizations adopted endured and sometimes collapsed in response to climate shifts archeology contributes significant insights to today's climate change debates the theme of this annual meeting with narratives is a succinct expression of the contributions that archeology makes to the past present and future of our planet our globe's future is at a threat and you'll agree with me from the diverse impacts of global warming a phenomenon already impacting our world The Net Zero initiative endorsed by numerous Nations aims to achieve a balance between carbon emissions and carbon sinks by 2050 through the implementation of best practices and carbon capture technology the recognition by intergovernmental panel and climate change ipcc of the importance of indigenous knowledge in the pursuit of a 1.5 degrees Celsius world and has caused the significance of our collaboration with communities I am firmly convinced that our archaeological insights coupled with ancestral practices lay the groundwork for sustainable interventions my experiences in the Pastoral Landscapes of Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia that is in the Buddha and will a remarkable Harmony between indigenous knowledge and Archeology in the pursuit of climate change pursuit of climate mitigation adaptation and Net Zero strategies today I am to delve into the intricate interplay between archeology and climate change drawing from lessons glued from our pastoralists be a well-being research I highlight the significance of this multi-disciplinary discourse citing examples from indigenous Water Management Systems vernacular architecture and acrobotonical evidence before my core presentation on Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia I would like to retaliate that the Contemporary significance of climate change cannot be overstated or Planet warms ecosystems shifts and sea level rises yet history instills hope it reminds us that societies can transcend limitations through cooperation Innovative thinking and sustainable practices the lessons of the past must guide our actions today Africa for instance offers a rich canvas for study its archaeological sites unveils innovative practices that align with contemporary sustainability endeavors the genius techniques of the past such as terracing agroforestry and crop diversification resonates in our Pursuits of low carbon farming methods by drawing inspirations from history we can imagine our food systems for a more ecologically conscious future this is work by Dr Matthew Davis of Cambridge who has been working in Western Kenya and looking at the indigenous farming systems it's not actually lost on me that men in this room have conducted similar archaeological research touching on environments and that shaped the cultures that they study and how these Landscapes have changed over time however in an era where the actions of one generation affect the fate of all the study of the interplay between climate change and cultures takes on renewed significance the Pastoral Landscapes of Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia have a long history of adopting to arid at the married environments and the only good for pastoralism yet these systems are facing additional challenges from drought and floods archaeological and ethnographic research cast light on the historical contexts of these challenges and the strategies pastoral communities employed to cope with these changing climates addressing these challenges necessitates a transdisciplinary approach so when we are doing our research in these regions instead of imposing our expertise on the pastoralists my teammate diet embarked on a journey of mutual understanding we shared our archaeological methods and practices and in turn the password is shared their invaluable indigenous knowledge of social ecological systems and traditional leadership institutions I must say that this collaborative Exchange proved transformative the knowledge passed down through generations enable these communities to navigate their harsh environments sustain their pastoral economies and whether the storms of change indigenous knowledge deeply woven into the fabric of the gabra and the borana communities in southern Ethiopia Northern Kenya finds expression in rituals and ceremonies throughout life's stages thus the knowledge which is carefully transmitted to Future Generations forms a strong foundation for their expert extreme epsteemologists at agency through a transition lens we were able to unveil these narratives offering insights to our to how past Generations derived amid adversity traditional leadership systems as the Luba among the gabra and the Gada among the borana meticulously documents significant environmental events like floods drugs Locust invested invasions among others these records chronicled the devastation caused by these events and the mission has taken for mitigation adaptation and Recovery by retrieving and understanding these narratives through our transdisciplinary approach we get insights into the impact of environmental imp events on the Landscapes we study archaeologically these insights help advocate for collaborative research and provide evidence-based interventions to Regional policy makers administrators politicians and the public in general this we did through um exhibitions this is an exhibition that we did of the national museums of Kenya uh using three languages the language of the pastoralists the long the national language kiswahili and English this was a traveling exhibition to show the pastoralist and everyone else the results of our work so it was shown in Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia the exhibition is still ongoing in some of these places unlike you to consider for for instance the precious water resources that sustain pastoral life in these regions indigenous practices Carefree manage heart Doug Wells Oasis and springs which are the lifelines in this arid Terrain Pastor receive God these hard Dark Worlds allowing Pasta Pasta utilization only within 8 to 15 kilometers radius within the visibility of the Worlds the pastures are reserved four times of environmental stress the pastures around the worlds however when this used some wells collapse awaiting restoration restoration during times of need to revive collapsed worlds intensive labor organization is required often involving strong men from the affected Clan supported by Clan's contribution of food and logistical Aid this collaborative efforts and the traditional leadership showcase the resilience and adaptability of the socioecological systems during periods of stress families may lose their entire stock in the past restocking was assured through social support and traditional leadership enabling recovery through contribution of lactating animals donations or retrieval and Recovery from distance relatives the processes of loss and Recovery due to environmental stress however are interesting to life for Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia pastoralists yet the near collapse of traditional leadership systems in recent years as awaken as wicked their effectiveness decade this region has faced serious droughts external interventions such as drilling of bowls uttering Wells have advently caused an intended irreversible harm to pastoral economics as our climate crisis deepens we must recognize the limitations of well-intentioned interventions lacking historical understanding for example interventions like balls water pants and modification to hurt Doug Wells without appreciation for how communities manage these environments in the past contribute to unsustainable socioecological systems in the past this misguided efforts have also transformed Refuge lads into settlements with provisions of relief Foods hospitals schools and shops these are all good but these areas now cannot be used for Refuge youth are flocked to these areas for his access to facilities causing overcrowding and eliminating any possibility of pasture options for stock recovery many are dug Wells have been neglected walls have dried up proving that interventions aimed at making what access easier are failed these outcomes Echo Del's 1995 study which tides prolonged droughts to the collapse of classic Maya civilization due to the decline of its city-states the well-intentioned interventions by external actors also remind me of Jared Diamonds work of 2005. collapse how societies choose to fail or succeed Diamond investigates factors contributing to the decline and collapse of societies by analyzing past societies choices in the face of environmental challenges it provides lessons for contemporary societies on making decisions that impact their resilience and survival I am however aware that several of his arguments require revision and great attention to archaeological detail but surely we can learn something out of his work the multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary approach should not only be important in mitigation and adaptation actions but by uniting archaeological insights with indigenous knowledge we create a tapestry of possibilities and potential to shape our Net Zero world today said I will ask your Botanical one in Northern Kenya involves taking deep calls from Shelby desert to understand past the environment our archaeological course revealed the past planned regimes and the climates they derived in offering insights into local trees that could serve as carbon sinks the larger bar and lad in Northern Kenya presents present an experimental carnivas for papacy food tree planting with the pasteurists involvement from inception to implementation ensuring sustainable success in our policy advice document which is in preparation we hope to incorporate such data in order to advise regarding local trees that can survive the ongoing weather regimes for the purpose of providing carbon sinks I know such ideas have been floated about um regarding the Sahara but the Practical Beats of Northern Kenya is that the pastoralists are still inhabiting these areas and if they are well involved from the conceptualization to the implementation of planting of trees which are proven through scientific research to thrive under these conditions this contribution would indeed help to sink several tons of carbon while benefiting the local populations therefore as we continue to think about how our discipline can contribute to the Net Zero world today I would wish to Echo there was once of Gavin 2014. that integrating indigenous knowledge force your records and speed and species distribution models can help to identify climate refugee build Resource Management indigenous wisdom in these two regions extend to architectural practices the lessons from vernacular architecture underscore that sustainability lies in locally available materials and Designs attuned to the local climate rather than costly Factory produced materials while these houses are still in use with the Advent of colonialism in Africa came a new world order use of a natural architecture that relied on materials that were originally available in our environments came to be seen as retrogressive and primitive lessons from the ongoing negative effects of climate change in Northern Kenya and Southern Ethiopia are teaching us that the factory produced building materials such as aluminum and ion sheets which are expensive and inaccessible to these populations are not practical for pastoral its well-being these houses cannot be moved around the landscape and they get too hot with increased temperatures therefore while we acknowledge that the world is now a global village we advocate for a village that is sensitive to local conditions and sustainability of livelihoods through informed choices in conclusion as archaeologists we are not just towards of the past we are interpreters of its relevance to the present and future our findings from climate models shed light on the consequences of ecological imbalance and Inspire cultural shifts to unsustainability we are unique poised to bridge the gap between scientific understanding and societal actions the story of climate change and archeology is a tale of adaptation innovation and ultimately resilience by studying this story we can craft our future where our Echoes resonates not with despair but with resulting Triumph of human potential and the power to shape our destiny our mission therefore surpasses academic Pursuits it's a call to action it's a call to navigate the intricate tip Street of our world's challenges with empathy respect and the wisdom that has endured through ages thank you very much [Applause] [Music]