麻豆传媒

As a child she was forced to flee Somalia. Now is back, uncovering ancient rock art and ruined towns. She told Curtis Abraham what it鈥檚 like to be the only working archaeologist in the region, and why she believes cultural heritage remains a priority even in times of war and famine

What was life like growing up in Somalia?
I grew up in the 1980s in the Medina area of Mogadishu, a multicultural east African town with Somalis, Kenyans, Italians, Arabs and descendants of Chinese merchants. My father was a police officer and my mother was a midwife. Despite hardships and violence at the hands of the Mohamed Siad Barre dictatorship 鈥� my father was arrested and tortured several times, and my sister and I were expelled from school due to clan discrimination 鈥� I thought at the time that I had a normal childhood. My parents did all they could to shield us and help us live a normal life. We went to school, our brothers played football, we watched Bollywood films.

When civil war broke out in 1991, you and your family had to escape and eventually found asylum in Sweden. How did you do that?
We had to escape Somalia because of the war. We come originally from the north, and would have been targets for anti-north sentiments. We tried first to walk out of Mogadishu but we could not go far because we had our elderly grandmother in a wheelbarrow. However, after a few weeks, a distant relative put us on the top of an already packed lorry, and we hung on to the ropes that held the load together.

It was a dangerous journey, Militiamen wanted to rob the lorry and rape the women, and to avoid these dangers we drove where no roads existed. On several occasions the lorry nearly fell off the narrow mountain paths. My older sister was in Sweden and she arranged for us to join her.

You went on to study archaeology. What made you choose this subject?
The idea that the remains of past cultures could be excavated and history could be written based on this was very appealing. The recording of African history and heritage has been hampered and sometimes destroyed by slavery, colonialism, wars and pillaging. I wanted to be part of rescuing and writing about the rich heritage of Africa.

You have made some amazing archaeological discoveries in Somaliland, including 5000-year-old rock paintings. Tell me about them.
is a rock art site located in the desert 20 kilometres south-east of the coastal town of Berbera. The most striking element of the Dhambalin paintings is the images of sheep. This is the only site in the region that depicts sheep. It also depicts humans worshipping cattle with big udders, as well as hunting scenes, and some of the humans appear to be wearing headgear or masks.

What do the paintings tell us about life in the Horn of Africa several millennia ago?
The Dhambalin rock art site displays rich information about past symbolism and beliefs in the region. Many of the animals depicted 鈥� cattle, certain types of antelope and wild animals such as giraffes 鈥� no longer exist here due to climate change. Also the paintings show headless beasts with big udders, a symbol of fertility. These are similar to paintings found in north Africa.

What else have you discovered?
The recent discoveries include ruined early or medieval Islamic towns, burial sites with decorated upright stone monuments of pre-Islamic origin called steglia, and pre-Islamic Christian burial sites. The ruined towns tell us about ancient trade between the Horn of Africa and Arabia, India and China. We have found Chinese pottery from the Yuan and Ming dynasties, which is important since it brings the dating of the sites back to the 13th century. This helps us understand the period of seafaring and maritime interaction. We now have a list of potential World Heritage Sites.

What is your most important discovery?
If you mean material discovery it would be the Dhambalin rock art site and its depictions of sheep; it is one of a kind. But actually the most important discovery I have made is not a site or a material object, it鈥檚 the notion of preserving knowledge and skill rather than objects 鈥� I call it the . It is a distinctive method amongst the Somalis for preserving heritage as knowledge rather than heritage as objects in museums and monuments. This perspective totally blew me away since it was completely different to what I had learned at university. I now use this methodology as a way of engaging local communities with material heritage such as objects and monuments.

Have you ever been threatened while you are out in the field?
Sometimes somebody may put obstacles in our way, but I have not been threatened personally. So far the danger has been due to landmines, snakes, car crashes and bad infrastructure such as non-existent roads.

What is it like to be the only working Somali archaeologist in the region?
It is a very daunting task. There is so much to be done because we are in a cultural emergency: our heritage is disappearing day by day. So being alone is not fun; I really need assistance. I feel I need to be in so many places at the same time.

It鈥檚 also a humbling experience because, at the end of the day, I can only do my best to research and protect the heritage. I also feel that Somalis, although missing in the field of archaeology, appreciate the fact that there is at least one person who is dedicated to saving this heritage. I receive many encouraging emails from people all over the world, both Somalis and non-Somalis, who support my work. That means a lot to me.

Why should archaeology be a priority when there are so many problems facing the Horn of Africa, including famine?
I see cultural heritage, including archaeological heritage, as a basic human right. Even people who are refugees or internally displaced need not only food and security but also a cultural heritage to understand their situation and to preserve their identity and dignity. Wars, poverty and droughts are dehumanising experiences which cultural activities and heritage awareness can protect against. And if we can protect and conserve cultural heritage, this helps create livelihoods through tourism and cultural resource entrepreneurship.

Why have you described the situation in Somalia as a 鈥渃ultural heritage emergency鈥�?
The intangible heritage relating to traditional practices such as Somali performance art, dances, songs and poetry, are all disappearing at an alarming rate due to the political conflict, displacement and older generations dying. But Somali tangible heritage is also disappearing due to the deliberate destruction of sites, looting and illicit trade of antiquities and unplanned development. Cultural heritage, both tangible and intangible heritage, is in an emergency situation.

鈥淭he intangible heritage of dances, songs and poetry, are rapidly vanishing鈥�

Do you think that there are other archaeological sites yet to be discovered in this region?
Yes, there are many, probably over a thousand sites to be discovered. There are archaeological sites everywhere in the country; the region was a crossroads for many civilisations of the world. The region鈥檚 arid climate has helped the preservation process. Also, most Somalis have until recently led a nomadic lifestyle and did not interfere with any of these sites, and there has been almost no farming or industrialisation. This is changing now, and there has recently been looting as the diaspora return and build factories and roads. There is an urgent need to document the heritage before it is too late.