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 underthe auspices of the African Archaeology Network between 2001 and 2010. In some ofthe fieldworks, I experienced difficult and threatening conditions, with some beingtantamount to fatality. Glimpses of those experiences are provided here. They includethose of Madagascar, Comoros, Tanzania and Nigeria. Archaeologists are used toreporting about the academic part of fieldworks with rare mentioning of other aspectsof archaeological experiences. In presenting about my fatal archaeology, academicaspects that led to those threatening experiences are provided, also with work resultsand 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 catchup with my home return flight via Nairobi. This caused me to travel by a hired minibuson a long road of dangerous state in a very high blood pressure condition. In theComoros, the problem was that of sailing across a deep sea in a time of enormous windsand waves in a small boat of only three people. In Nigeria, the problem was that ofbeing 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 hecould have killed one of us.