Mak Itambu
@makariusitambu.bsky.social
Archaeologist, University of Dar Es Salaam
Although this was our first field season and we were figuring some things out as we went, we were able to core multiple swamps and lakes throughout the Lwengera Valley that separates the East from West Usambara Mountains. Next, we’ll head to Germany for lab analysis at the MPI-GEA.
Wrapping up our first #EcoRAFT field season and I couldn’t have asked for a better group of student researchers. They adapted to living and working in Tanzania so well, you’d think they had all been here many times before.
Some interesting wildlife stuff from Mkomazi National Park today, Tanzania
✅ Swarmed by siafu (driver ants) ✅ Vehicles stuck in the mud multiple times ✅ Not your typical study abroad #fieldworkfriday 🌍🏺🧪
Nos expéditions scientifiques dans les montagnes d'Usambara en 2026 ont commencé… !! -Our scientific expeditions to the Usambara Mountains in 2026 have begun… !!
🧪 Lab-based microstratigraphic excavation for high-resolution archaeological sampling. #ICArEHB researchers Aldeias, Goldberg, McPherron, Li and Mallol co-author this #PaleolithicArchaeology study in J Paleo Arch using #Microstratigraphy. 🔗 10.1007/s41982-025-00253-y
Our session is organized by Emuobosa Orijemie, Tebogo Makhubela, @makariusitambu.bsky.social and myself @eslembenarous.bsky.social !
www.instagram.com/p/DTBHb6yD8b...
Usambara Mountains Archaeology and Paleoecology Project on Instagram: "First #fieldworkfriday post of 2026. Surveying in and around the Usambara Mountains to target ponds and lakes for potential corin...
11 likes, 0 comments - u.m.a.p.p on January 2, 2026: "First #fieldworkfriday post of 2026. Surveying in and around the Usambara Mountains to target ponds and lakes for potential coring in the summer. ...
instagram.com
For more on this site and others in central Tanzania, check out our recent paper in African Archaeological Review 🏺
Renewed Archaeological Research in Singida Region, Central Tanzania - African Archaeological Review
Archaeological research in central Tanzania, chiefly in the Singida Region, has only been sporadically conducted, with the focus of such investigations being mostly on rock art and Later Stone Age (LSA) material. Here, we report preliminary results from renewed research expeditions conducted in the Singida Region. In 2021 and 2022, we located 31 archaeological sites in Ikungi District, excavated an open-air site (Nkungi) and a rock shelter (Itramuka), and uncovered well-stratified cultural sequences containing lithics, ceramics, and metallurgical remains, as well as human remains and animal bones. The recent archaeological discoveries in the region revealed a rich and composite archaeological heritage, encompassing scatters of archaeological artifacts, stratified deposits, and rock shelters with preserved deposits and rock art. These sites are embedded in a varied landscape that, in itself, should be preserved for their geo-heritage. Our renewed research also emphasizes the importance of local community engagement, specifically with traditional landowners, to ensure the sustainability of this multidisciplinary research project.
link.springer.com
Mak Itambu@makariusitambu.bsky.social · 11mo agoFouilles archéologiques à l'abri sous roche d'Itramuka, mission de terrain 2025 à Singida -Archaeological excavations at the Itramuka rock shelter, Singida field mission 2025
Fouilles archéologiques à l'abri sous roche d'Itramuka, mission de terrain 2025 à Singida -Archaeological excavations at the Itramuka rock shelter, Singida field mission 2025
The SHARP project has been quite active this summer, uncovering what appears to be ESA artifacts in central Tanzania. 🏺
Mak Itambu@makariusitambu.bsky.social · 12mo agoThe Singida2025 research expedition into on human origins continues to discover more early Stone Age sites today -L'expédition de recherche Singida2025 sur les origines de l'homme continue de découvrir d'autres sites de l'âge de pierre
The Singida2025 research expedition into on human origins continues to discover more early Stone Age sites today -L'expédition de recherche Singida2025 sur les origines de l'homme continue de découvrir d'autres sites de l'âge de pierre
www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.... Nouvelle publication : La conservation communautaire du patrimoine est compacte dans la région de Singida -New publication: Community heritage conservation is compact in the Singida region
La région de Singida continue de faire de nouvelles découvertes chaque année, avec des ossements fossiles et des outils datant du début de l'âge de pierre trouvés aujourd'hui... d'autres nouveaux sites sur les origines humaines du Pléistocène tanzanien sont encore à venir....
Late Pleistocene vegetation succession, climate change and hominin adaptation in Sandinggai site, central South China 🏺
Late Pleistocene vegetation succession, climate change and hominin adaptation in Sandinggai site, central South China - Journal of Geographical Sciences
The paleoenvironmental changes and adaptation strategies of hominins during the Late Pleistocene are crucial for understanding the evolution, dispersal, and behavioral shifts of early modern humans. D...
link.springer.com
Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of human adaptation in the Nihewan Basin of North China during Middle Pleistocene: A case study of Jijiazhuang archaeological site 🏺
Paleoenvironmental reconstruction of human adaptation in the Nihewan Basin of North China during Middle Pleistocene: A case study of Jijiazhuang archaeological site - Journal of Geographical Sciences
Situated in the semi-arid regions of North China, the Nihewan Basin documents the fluvio-lacustrine sequence and Pleistocene archaeological sites, offering an excellent opportunity to investigate huma...
link.springer.com
Don’t insult Australopithecines like that
Mrs. Betty Bowers@mrsbettybowers.bsky.social · 12mo agoAnthropology
Expéditions géophysiques et géochronologiques en cours dans la région de Singida, 2025 -Geophysical and geochronological expeditions underway in the Singida region
Have you heard of our @exoceanlab.bsky.social lab? It's a new facility for experimental oceanography -- We culture, measure, and dissolve carbonates there. Register to the account to get fresh updates from what we are doing there!
I didn’t know Wenner Gren lost their funding from the Mellon Foundation and Ford Foundation, in addition to the major cuts and restrictions to the Fulbright program, National Science Foundation, and National Endowment for the Humanities
Cecilia Padilla-Iglesias@ceciliapad.bsky.social · last yr.This is really sad news. Sapiens was a fantastic medium to share, promote and diversify anthropology and the platform where many people (like me) learnt and developed skills in science communication. Times are tough, but Sapiens’ niche is now left empty ☹️ wennergren.org/article/sapi...
Thrilled to return to Tanzania's Usambara Mountains in 2026! With support from the NSF International Research Experiences for Students program, we're launching the next phase of U·M·A·P·P, the Ecological Resilience of Afromontane Forests project. Check out more on the project below 👇
U·M·A·P·P
Usambara Mountains Archaeology and Palaeoecology Project
arcg.is
How do you look back at a science a hundred years ago and grapple with the frauds and failures promoted above their grade, and the myopia of legendary researchers who criticized enduring discoveries while promoting eugenics. Well, that’s history isn’t it? open.substack.com/pub/johnhawk...
Human origins science in 1925: the good, the bad, and the fake
As I look back at a sometimes-confusing picture of a science in its early days, I see some connections with today's landscape.
open.substack.com
Échantillonnage géoarchéologique sur le site de l'âge de pierre d'Isanga aujourd'hui, datation Be-10 des roches et échantillonnage des sédiments -Geoarchaeological sampling at Isanga Stone Age site today, Be-10 dating rocks and sediments sampling
Études géoarchéologiques sur les sites de l'âge de pierre d'Isanga, région de Singida - Tanzanie Geoarchaeological studies on the Stone Age sites of Isanga, Singida region - Tanzania
Happy to share our paper on new archaeological discoveries in Singida Region of central Tanzania! Led by @makariusitambu.bsky.social, we found 31 new sites with lithics, ceramics, metallurgical remains, as well as human and other animal bones. It is Open Access so please share and enjoy!
Renewed Archaeological Research in Singida Region, Central Tanzania - African Archaeological Review
Archaeological research in central Tanzania, chiefly in the Singida Region, has only been sporadically conducted, with the focus of such investigations being mostly on rock art and Later Stone Age (LS...
link.springer.com
So HAPPY to see our new Nature paper out !!! Check it out !!!
Eleanor Scerri@elliescerri.bsky.social · last yr.In @nature.com we show that humans lived in rainforests ~150,000 years ago – over double the previous oldest estimate. Their presence in West Africa’s rainforests demonstrates the spread of early humans and places ecological diversity at the heart of our species. www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Cool to see our work covered in the New York Times! Although we don't definitively say in our paper that this was a rainforest (as we don't have a rainfall proxy), the pollen, phytolith, and plant wax data all suggest wet adapted species and the site's location is in the rainforest biome today.
Carl Zimmer@carlzimmer.com · last yr.Meanwhile, 150,000 years ago: hunter-gatherers thrived in rain forests, once considered too harsh for early Homo sapiens to survive. Here's my story [Gift link] nyti.ms/3EThoDL 🧪