{"id":6925,"date":"2025-04-24T05:39:29","date_gmt":"2025-04-24T05:39:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/?page_id=6925"},"modified":"2025-04-25T00:36:48","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T00:36:48","slug":"t13-s01-papers","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/t13-s01-papers\/","title":{"rendered":"T13\/S01: Archaeology, Heritage Standards and International Development \u2013 Theory and Practice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Format: Paper presentations with discussion<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Convenors:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Caleb Adebayo Folorunso, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, cafolorunso@gmail.com<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Prof. Scott MacEachern, Duke University, Shanghai, scott.maceachern@dukekunshan.edu.cn<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles Le Quesne, Museum of West African Art, Benin City, Nigeria, charles.lequesne@wearemowaa.org<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This session is inspired by 30 years of working as archaeologists in the context of accelerating development in Africa. The impact of expanding cities, mining, power and transport projects is being felt across the continent, as it is globally. The need to address the inevitable damage to cultural heritage in all of its forms \u2013 tangible and intangible \u2013 is acknowledged and addressed through a variety of international agreements and standards published over the past 50 years. In addition to national level heritage protection legislation, the broad principles of conservation at an international level have been agreed through UNESCO treaties and conventions, which have been joined in more recent years by important but lesser known international financial standards published or adopted by international lending banks, such as the World Bank\/IFC, Asia Development Bank or the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD). These provide clear and increasingly detailed guidance for how cultural heritage should be managed\/protected in the projects which they finance. However, the significance of these guidance notes remains limited among heritage professionals and regulators in Africa and beyond, meaning that they are often not applied in practice. At the same time, much development in Africa and elsewhere is being funded by foreign governments \u2013 most notably China\u2014through a variety of government to government agreements. There is currently less clarity about how heritage identification\/protection is managed for such projects. This session will provide an opportunity for practitioners, regulators and policy makers to come together to look at how existing heritage guidance for international development works in practice, identify gaps and consider potential solutions going forward. We welcome papers relating to best practise, implementation and policy development not just from Africa but across the developing world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Papers:<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Sustainable Development and Cultural Heritage Management in Kenya: Stakes and Perspectives on Development Planning, Funding, Regulatory Framework and Implementation<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lucas Leonardo Wandera Bwire, independent researcher, Universit\u00e9 de Pau et des Pays de L\u2019Adour, research laboratories of IRAA-CNRS, ITEM and LAM Bordeaux, France; part-time lecturer, Dept of History, Archaeology and Political Studies, Kenyatta University, Kenya<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cultural heritage has always shaped and been shaped by social, economic and political factors as it defines people\u2019s identities, and their uniqueness in time and space, as well as the relationship among the people of different origin at varied levels of interaction. Infrastructural development presents both opportunities and challenges for the proper identification, study, conservation and promotion of cultural heritage as a human right and a key element of sustainable development. This paper presents three case studies that demonstrate the varied and unique approaches to the issues of cultural heritage management in the context of development in Kenya. The selected projects were arrived at as a sampling strategy based on their varied degrees of representation of the different aspects of cultural heritage in developmental planning, funding, regulatory framework and the progress in implementation across the country for the past three decades. The three case studies are Sondu Miriu Hydroelectric Power Plant, the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia Transport – (LAPSSET) Corridor and the Nairobi-Mombasa Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) projects. The relevancy of each project as a sample was informed by variables such as the stakeholders who were involved, sources of funds, existing regulations, and the implementation period.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Economics of Archaeology\u2013Heritage, Finance and Development in West Africa<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Charles Le Quesne, Museum of West African Art, Benin City, Nigeria; Quercus Heritage<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As populations rise and technological change accelerates, the pace of development across sub-Saharan Africa is dizzying. New roads, railways, mines and energy projects abound. Much of the investment that is enabling the construction of the infrastructure required to support this comes from outside the continent. This comes in all sorts of forms\u2014through government loans, private investment and international bank financing. As concerns about the long-term damage to the environment has increasingly come a global political issue, these investments have increasingly come with conditions attached, including requirements to assess and mitigate their impacts on affected communities, biodiversity, water, air\u2014and cultural heritage. These are articulated in standards such as the IFC\/World Bank Performance Standards, which underpin the Equator Standards that are adhered to (in theory at least) by many international financial institutions. In this paper I will consider these standards in more depth, looking at how they have been implemented in sub-Saharan Africa over the past 20 years. In doing so I will consider why investors, national regulators and heritage professionals have largely failed to implement them effectively and to consider the mechanisms of doing so more effectively over the coming decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pre-Construction Archaeology in Nigeria: Looking Back, Looking Forward<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Professor Caleb Adebayo Folorunso, University of Ibadan, Museum of West African Art, Nigeria<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archaeology in Nigeria developed during the colonial period essentially through rescue and salvage archaeology operations in mines and facilities\u2019 construction sites by archaeologists of the nation\u2019s Department of Antiquities. The rescue and salvage archaeology operations were not mandated by legislation or policy but dictated by chance finds of spectacular archaeological objects. Heritage legislations since the colonial period till the present have not considered the protection of archaeological sites against the impacts of mining and construction projects. However, in recent years, the International Financial Corporations (IFCs) have opened a new window for the development of pre-construction archaeology in Nigeria through the enforcement of their cultural resources management policies which require mitigation procedures for heritage resources in projects they fund. Though not required by national legislation, some pre-construction archaeology projects have been undertaken through collaboration by foreign and Nigerian archaeologists. There have been shared experiences and transfer of skills leading to the development of a pool of young Nigerian archaeologists with the required skills to undertake pre-construction archaeology projects. This paper contributes to the discussions on the required framework in terms of enabling national legislations to institutionalise pre-construction archaeology and the structure of the practice in the country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archaeology and Development in Ghana: A study of the Abetifi Stone Age Community Development Park (ASACDP)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Dr Samuel N. Nkumbaan and Ms Francisca Asiedua Pedison, Dept of Archaeology and Heritage Studies, University of Ghana, Ghana<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Archaeology plays a leading role in the attempt to develop various heritage, cultural and tourism spaces in the world. Archaeologists understand the past through several theories and principles developed for the recovery and analysis of material remains. Over the years archaeology has contributed to the development of major historic and tourism destinations. In Ghana, the ASACDP is known to be one of the unique tourist destinations in the Eastern Region, which was developed after archaeological investigations in the Bosumpra Rock shelter. The concept of \u2018archaeology and development,\u2019 also known as applied archaeology, is the application of archaeological research knowledge\/data and techniques to uncover the history (artefacts and ecofacts, features, monuments, and historic landscapes) of an area, which are then applied to the present and used to solve current problems. This is the context in which the Abetifi Stone Age Park Development is discussed, highlighting the archaeological processes that led to the entrepreneurial idea and development of the park as a tourism facility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Towards Developer-funded Archaeology in West Africa \u2013 Reflections on 10 Years of Fieldwork and Collaboration in South-western Nigeria<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Chris Breeden, Wessex Archaeology, UK<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As the pace of development and the construction of infrastructure continues to increase in West Africa, this paper considers our experiences as a cultural heritage service provider and knowledge exchange partner working in the region to date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It will discuss our work in the region in 2014 as a member of the project team working ahead of the construction of the Azura power station. This project had requirements to record portions of the extended Benin City earthworks as part of its responsibility to fulfilling the requirements of International Finance Corporation Performance Standard 8. It will also discuss the rewarding experience of being a knowledge exchange partner working in collaboration with the Museum of West African Art (MOWAA) and the British Museum, working with young Nigerian archaeologists at the excavations in the historic core of Benin City ahead of the construction of the new MOWAA cultural campus.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finally, it will take a look at our aspirations for future work in the area considering the legacy of MOWAA in supporting the development of local archaeological practitioners, the rapid pace of development on the region, and the conditions and standards that are attached to projects by investors and international financial institutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preconstruction Archaeology and Heritage Management in Nigeria: MOWAA\u2019s Approach and Global Relevance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Oluwadamilare Omogbai, Museum of West African Art, Benin City, Nigeria<\/em>
Professor Caleb Adebayo Folorunso, University of Ibadan, Museum of West African Art, Nigeria<\/em>
Charles Le Quesne, Museum of West African Art, Benin City, Nigeria<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preserving Nigeria’s cultural heritage is part of the Museum of West African Art’s (MOWAA) master plan, and it has carried out some preconstruction archaeological projects such as the Azura-Edo Independent Power Project and the Old Palace Preconstruction Project. These projects integrate traditional excavation methods with contemporary tools such as LiDAR surveys, photogrammetry, and GIS mapping to assess, document, and mitigate the impacts of urban development on archaeological sites.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper examines MOWAA’s preconstruction projects, highlighting their contributions to heritage conservation, capacity building and community engagements. These initiatives support the larger conversation on sustainable heritage management by educating regional archaeologists, contractors, and Government ministries and agencies as well as encouraging collaborations with international organisations. The outcomes of these projects not only improve historical narratives in Nigeria but also advance worldwide archaeological research, showing how development-driven archaeology can have an impact locally and globally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This paper advocates a model of archaeology that balances infrastructural development with cultural preservation in West Africa using case studies from MOWAA projects. Additionally, it examines how MOWAA’s approach aligns with international standards and provides useful ideas for funders of projects within West Africa to include archaeology in modern development goals as African urban centres grow.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Format: Paper presentations with discussion Convenors:\u00a0\u00a0 Prof. Caleb Adebayo Folorunso, University of Ibadan, Nigeria, cafolorunso@gmail.com Prof. Scott MacEachern, Duke University, Shanghai, scott.maceachern@dukekunshan.edu.cn Charles Le Quesne, Museum of West African Art, Benin City, Nigeria, charles.lequesne@wearemowaa.org This session is inspired by 30 years of working as archaeologists in the context of accelerating development in Africa. The impact of expanding cities, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1157,"featured_media":276,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"pmpro_default_level":"","ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"class_list":{"0":"post-6925","1":"page","2":"type-page","3":"status-publish","4":"has-post-thumbnail","6":"pmpro-has-access","7":"czr-hentry"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1157"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6925"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6925\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":7369,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/6925\/revisions\/7369"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/276"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worldarchaeologicalcongress.com\/wac10\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}