Publications
African rock art and world heritage: context, safeguarding and prospects for the future
African rock art, a non-renewable cultural heritage, faces significant threats from both natural and human sources, with the latter being predominantly unintended but destructive. The study highlights that UNESCO's designation of these sites as World Heritage, starting with Tiya in Ethiopia (1980), has been instrumental in their recognition but insufficient to mitigate risks such as dust erosion, fires, vandalism, and looting. It also underscores the need for enhanced community engagement and resource allocation to improve safeguarding efforts. The research draws on expert insights, academic literature, and grey sources to analyze management challenges and propose future interventions.
Divine Fertility
A groundbreaking archaeological and ethnographic study reveals the profound influence of indigenous Sky-God beliefs on the social fabric of Northeast Africa, predating Christianity and Islam. The research uncovers complex pre-Islamic institutions that fostered cultural exchange, tolerance, and peace through shared rituals, including pilgrimage practices at Saint Aw-Barkhadle—a 12th-century burial site linked to early Muslim dynasties—and the ritual hunt. It introduces a novel interpretational framework, the 'Ritual Set,' to analyze sacred landscapes and stelae traditions across sites like Tiya, Aksum, and Lalibela, providing a nuanced understanding of the region's multi-religious heritage. This study challenges dominant narratives by emphasizing indigenous continuity in belief systems and practices, offering invaluable insights for archaeologists, anthropologists, and policymakers.
Non-market Valuation of Tiya Megalithic World Cultural Heritage of Ethiopia, Application of Travel Cost and Contingent Valuation Methods
Researchers estimate the total economic value of Tiya, Ethiopia's megalithic World Heritage site, at 9.6 million ETB annually through use and nonuse values. The study applies Travel Cost Method (TCM) to assess recreational demand, revealing key determinants like travel cost, income, and visitor characteristics, while Contingent Valuation Method (CVM) quantifies community willingness to pay for preservation. Using truncated Poisson regression for use value and bivariate probit modeling for nonuse value, the findings highlight Tiya's significant cultural and economic importance, advocating for targeted maintenance to sustain its benefits.
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