MAEASaM

The answer is: Laetoli Site in Ngorongoro Tanzania

MAEASaM celebrates BIEA’s win!

Proud to be partnered with the British Institute in Eastern Africa, winner of the Outstanding Institutional Award at SAfA 2025 in Faro.

Congrats to our Nairobi-based collaborators!

Onwards and upwards! 🚀

#SAfA2025 #BIEA

It’s Friday… time for #HeritageFromAbove!
Do you know where we are today?
It’s a place where early humans once walked across wet volcanic ash — and left behind the oldest known footprints ever discovered.
Remember to answer in the comments
#africanheritage #satelliteimagery #quiz

A huge congrats to our colleague Stephanie Wynne-Jones, MAEASaM Co-I for Tanzania, on being elected SAfA’s next president! 👏

We’re happy to share that (MAEASaM) project was well represented at #SAfA2025 in Faro, Portugal, presenting work on digital tools, site mapping & heritage protection across Africa. Grateful to the organizers & all who joined us!
#Archaeology #AfricanHeritage #CrossroadsThroughTime #MAEASaM

the answer is : The holy ancient city of Lalibela

the answer is : The holy ancient city of Lalibela

In Senegambia, 1K+ megalithic circles discovered; a dozen in Wassu, Gambia. The builders remain a mystery.

Image 1: Satellite view ten megalithic circles of the Wassu site, Gambia. © image 2025 Airbus 27.03.2023

Image 2: Image taken by K H Chiu Vincent © UNESCO megalithic circle Wassu, Gambia.

It's Friday...time for #HeritageFromAbove
Do you know where we are today?

Remember to answer in the comments and as always Good Luck!!
#HeritageFromAbove #africanheritage #satelliteimagery #Ethiopia #quiz

We are hiring! The MAEASaM Project is hiring a new 'Project Administrator' to help us achieve our goals for the next 4 years.

For more details and to apply, click here:
www.jobs.cam.ac.uk/job/51965/
Last applications, 1st August 2025

At #WorldHeritage2025, four African sites are up for inscription — including the first-ever from Guinea-Bissau & Sierra Leone! While Africa holds 9% of WH sites, it bears 25% of sites at risk. Time to shift the balance. #UNESCO #AfricaHeritage #47WHC #Culturalheritage

It's Friday...time for #HeritageFromAbove
Do you know where we are today?
Remember to answer in the comments and as always Good Luck!!
📸 Botswana Tourism #HeritageFromAbove #Africanheritage #Satelliteimagery #Botswana #Quiz

The answer is the Mijikenda Kayas — sacred forest sites along Kenya’s coast that were once Mijikenda villages. Now spiritual and cultural spaces, they preserve rituals, memory, and biodiversity. As UNESCO World Heritage Sites, they embody the deep link between people, land, and heritage.

Image of the St Paul’s ACK Rabai church (Credit, A Kabiru)

Image of Al Inkishafi manuscript (credits: SOAS, London)

At MAEASaM, we celebrate the power of language in preserving heritage.
Did you know? Rabai Church, built in 1887, is Kenya’s first church and the oldest Anglican church in East Africa. It’s where Krapf began the first Bible translation into Kiswahili.

#WorldKiswahiliLanguageDay #Heritage #Kiswahili

It’s Friday! Let’s play #HeritageFromAbove
Located along the Kenyan coast, these natural features are considered sacred. Do you know where we are?
Answer in the comments below, and as always, good luck!
#GoogleEarth #AfricanHeritage #wherearewe #Satelliteimagery #Kenya #GoogleEarth

The answer is: Koutammakou located in #Togo in West Africa. The Batammariba live in both northern Togo and Benin and are best known for the towering mud houses that they construct, called takienta.

A narrow dirt path winds through a dense, green forest under an arch of tree branches. The path is clear but surrounded by thick undergrowth and leafy vegetation, suggesting a sacred or well-trodden route into a forested area. Photo credit: Okoko Ashikoye

A small, triangular shrine made of dried palm fronds stands alone in a forest clearing. Inside the shrine is a small offering table with yellow fruit and leaves. Surrounding vegetation is lush and untamed, highlighting the sacred and secluded nature of the site. **Photo credit**: Okoko Ashikoye

**Sacred Forests, Living Heritage**

The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests of Kenya are ancient hilltop refuges turned spiritual sanctuaries. Protected by tradition, they blend nature, culture, and ritual. A living heritage and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. #Mijikenda #KayaForests #UNESCO #KenyaHeritage

It is #heritage from above again.
Where are we headed today? Write your answers in the comments below! and as usual good luck. #heritagefromabove #quiz #googleearth #satelliteimagery

The answer is: the Thiaroye Military cemetery. On December 1, 1944, at the Thiaroye camp, some fifteen km from Dakar, the Senegal capital, several Senegalese riflemen were coldly shot dead by their brothers-in-arms in the French colonial troops. Their crime was to claim their demobilisation pay.

Elevation data and ortho photo provided by Daniel Löwenborg, University of Uppsala.

Elevation data and ortho photo provided by Daniel Löwenborg, University of Uppsala.

High-resolution elevation models offer many benefits. For example, the contour map (10cm intervals) and ortho photo of Great Zimbabwe's Hill Tort and Great Enclosure clearly show the site’s walling and its relationship to the surrounding area. #Maps #GreatZimbabwe #Googleearth #Archaeology

It is #heritage from above again.
Where are we headed today? Hint: An emblematic site of a massacre of valiant African soldiers, this site has perhaps not yet revealed all about this painful event.
Write your answers in the comments below! #Heritagefromabove #Quiz #Satelliteimagery #Googleearth

The answer is: Lokori (Ng’amortunga) Archaeological Site
The Lokori site features pillar tombs, rock engravings, and burial stone circles, revealing the history of early pastoralist communities. Sadly, it faces threats from erosion, looting, neglect, and climate change. Let’s protect our heritage.

Illustration des sites affectés par les activités humaines menaçant ceux-ci. Illustration of sites affected by human activities threatening them.

Illustration des sites affectés par les activités humaines menaçant ceux-ci. Illustration of sites affected by human activities threatening them.

Human activities complicate archaeological site management and conservation. Superimposing sites with satellite imagery aids in easier management. Here are examples of the work done by MAEASaM Senegal’s team. #Urbanspace #Africanheritage #digitalarchive #Threat #Googleearth

Another Friday brings another interesting quiz.

How well do you know your heritage? Hint: The people were very artistic…

Write your answers in the comments below! #Heritagefromabove #Satelliteimagery #Googleearth #Quiz

The answer is: The Great Temple of Amun was dedicated to Amun, the chief god of the Egyptian pantheon, who was believed to reside in the holy mountain of Jebel Barkal. It was a site of great religious significance and was regarded as an architectural marvel from its very beginning.

🎨 Rock art reveals how people adapted to changing environments—through images of wildlife, herding & daily life. But it faces threats: erosion, vandalism, looting & climate change. Let’s protect it before it’s lost!
#ProtectHeritage #RockArt #Archaeology #ClimateChange #PreserveOurPast

It is #heritage from above again—ready for liftoff, whether it’s a satellite ride or a deep dive into geospatial data from orbit.
Where are we headed today? Answer in the comments below, and as always, good luck! #Heritagefromabove #Satelliteimagery #Googleearth #Heritagefromabove

We're excited to share highlights from our 3-day workshop at Jebel Barkal Visitor’s Centre, led by NCAM & MAEASaM. Participants gained hands-on training in Google Earth Pro & digital tools to safeguard Sudan's heritage in conflict zones #Sudanheritage #Workshop #GoogleErth #KoboCollect #MAEASaM

It’s Friday! Let’s play #HeritageFromAbove

This fort was constructed in 1855 AD, to strengthen French control over the Senegal River. Do you know where we are?

Answer in the comments below, and as always, good luck!

#GoogleEarth #AfricanHeritage #wherearewe #Satelliteimagery

The answer is: Ngor is translated in Wolof as "dignity." Located 400 meters from the bay that shares the name of the Lébou fishing village, Ngor Island lies to the north of the Pointe des Almadies.

Production: Assane Ndiaye