The DOI matches its Crossref record; 18 of the 18 references it cites were found in a registry or an index; 1 of the 15 sources its claims cite were checked for support.
Doing Archaeology in a Turbulent Time
Open accessAbstract
Several Africa-based archaeologists missed some of the recent SAfA conferences in Europe and North America because they were denied visas.In the process, they also parted with the exorbitant and nonrefundable visa application fees.Global disparities in knowledge production will remain intact until Western state actors dismantle the roadblocks they have created to prevent many Africa-based scholars from traveling to European and North American countries for professional conferences.In contrast, scholars from the global north have nearly unfettered access to Africa.The fact that we are participating in the SAfA conference from the comfort of our homes and offices is a stark reminder that the COVID-19 pandemic is still with us.The appearance of more potent variants of the virus, especially delta (B.1.617.2), has complicated the situation as new infection hotspots emerge or rekindle in different parts of the world.Africa is not exempted from the worldwide human and economic costs of the pandemic.It may be experiencing more hardship than other geographical zones, due more to stringent lockdown policies to curb the pandemic than to infection and illness (Anyanwu & Salami, 2021).African Development Bank (2021) estimates that about 39 million Africans could fall into extreme poverty in 2021 from the socioeconomic impacts of the pandemic: job loss, revenue/income declines, consumer price increases, supply-chain disruptions, business closure, and increase in the cost of doing business.There are also social deficits from By the time this journal issue (38, 3) is released, we will be wrapping up the 25th biennial meeting of the Society of Africanist Archaeologists (SAfA), themed "A 20:20 Vision for the Future."For the first time, the society is running its conference entirely online in response to the disruptions caused by COVID-19.The global pandemic forced a one-year delay and converted what should have been a four-day faceto-face meeting in Oxford (UK) into a twenty-threeday online event.Lasting from August 17 through September 28, the conference program will feature 24 sessions, including four plenaries, two roundtable panels, one session for student-related activities, eighteen research panels, and a business meeting.More than 210 presentations will be showcased in the research panels.The conference would not have been possible without the resourcefulness of Peter Mitchell and his organizing committee, the SAfA executive board under Elisabeth Hildebrand's leadership, and the managers of the online meeting platform-Matt Curtis and Susan McIntosh, among others.The benefits of in-person meetings outweigh those of online interactions but many Africa-based participants would be relieved that they did not have to deal with time-consuming and expensive visa application processes in order to attend the conference in
Overview
AI snapshot
Written from the paper’s full text.
TL;DR
This editorial reflects on doing African archaeology amid the COVID-19 pandemic, political conflict, climate crisis, and persistent global inequalities, using the 25th SAfA conference and the journal's latest issue as anchors. It calls for concrete action on decolonizing the discipline and leveling access to research resources.
Key findings
No empirical findings; the piece is an editorial commentary. Its substantive claims include:
- The 25th SAfA biennial meeting was converted from a four-day in-person event in Oxford to a 23-day online conference (August 17–September 28), featuring 24 sessions and more than 210 presentations.
- The African Development Bank (2021) estimates about 39 million Africans could fall into extreme poverty in 2021 from pandemic socioeconomic impacts; school closures exceeded 100 days for many African countries in 2020.
- The IPCC (2021) report states "human influence has warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2000 years," with accelerated change since around AD 1750.
- The "Open Letter About Violent Conflict and Heritage in Ethiopia" (Sulas et al., 2020) drew more than 260 signatories and World Archaeology Congress endorsement; nearly two million people have been displaced in Ethiopia since November 2020, and about 337 people died in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng provinces between July 9–17, 2021.
Methods
Not stated in the paper (editorial commentary, not a research study). The text draws on cited reports (IPCC 2021, African Development Bank 2021, IOM figures), the author's own prior work (Ogundiran, 2020), and accounts of SAfA and African Oxford Initiative discussions.
Limitations
Not stated in the paper. Evident from the text: the piece is an editorial with no systematic data collection or analysis; several cited figures (e.g., displacement, famine risk, site damage reports) are attributed to third parties and, in the case of Tigray heritage damage, explicitly described as "though not all verified."
Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.
Integrity signals
Registry
Cites
Statistics
Verification
Claims the paper makes
1 of 15 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured
A claim is checked only against the cited paper’s full text, never its abstract, and none is available for its sources.
In the paper
“Only a few studies have explored poverty and marginalization as a lived experience of complexity and modern capitalism (e.g., Orser, 2011; Richard, 2011).”
What the sources say
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“Most importantly, the experts are unequivocal that human influence has accelerated warming and rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere, biosphere, and land since around AD 1750.”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites IPCC, 2021
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Not matched
In the paper
“IPCC’s unambiguous conclusions that human activities are responsible for ongoing extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts, and excessive rainfall, and its policy recommendations on how to reverse the dire situation have been described as “a wake-up call for immediate climate action” (reliefweb, 2021).”
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites IPCC, 2021
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Not matched
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“But some of those knowledge systems have also been compromised and degraded by the legacies of colonialism, postcolonial states, and globalization (e.g., Davies, 2012; Douglass & Cooper, 2020; Lane, 2015).”
What the sources say
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIn the paper
“For example, many Africa-based colleagues fund field research and laboratory projects with their meager income (see Opadeji, 2021, this issue).”
What the sources say
- Not checked — no full text of the sourcecites Opadeji, 2021 source
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesA conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“In those circumstances, the cost of even one AMS date is beyond the reach of most Africa-based scholars.”
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes- Rests on an assumption: It is not unusual for graduate students to rely on paltry family resources to conduct fieldwork.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“As a result, most of these local agencies of resilience cannot cope with the effects of capitalist agriculture, industrial-scale production, and rapid urban growth around them.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes? Based: unclearA check of a cited source is scheduled, or we don’t hold its full text yet; the claim is checked once it runs.
In the paper
“The effects of climate change on biodiversity loss, destruction of archaeological sites, food insecurity, population displacement, and sociopolitical conflicts are recognizable in many of our research areas (e.g., Douglass et al., 2019; Logan et al., 2019).”
What the sources say
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passes
- It may state two separate claims as one. 6
- Probably not a substantial claim. 5
The cited sources support only part of this claim — read each source’s verdict below.
In the paper
“At the same time, climate change, dwindling natural resources, population displacement, and migration are stoking social conflicts, intensifying environmental degradation, and putting archaeological sites and other forms of heritage, including human resources and knowledge systems, at risk (Brooks et al., 2020).”
What the sources say
- Partly supportedcites Brooks et al., 2020 sourceExperimental — accuracy not yet measured
Split into 2 atoms — 0 confirmed, 2 partially supported, 0 disputed, 0 misattributed, 0 unverifiable. Expand the claim to see per-atom verdicts.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Partly supported
The paper states this without a source or data behind it here, so there is nothing to check it against. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“The appeal letter did not de-escalate the conflict, and all that we were concerned about has happened and is still happening.”
Load-bearingStrength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Whatever the causes, the uprising is a sad reminder of what can happen whenever a segment of the society loses faith in the state, and the prevailing conditions of hopelessness make them complicit in destroying their community.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✗ Checkable: fails✓ Load-bearing: passes✗ Based: failsProbably not a substantial claim. It may be too vague to check against evidence. The paper may give no reason why it holds. It may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Global and regional inequalities affect how we do archaeology, an issue that was recently discussed on SAfA’s Listserv about collaborative research and publication between foreign-based and Africa-based archaeologists (April 2021).”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
In the paper
“The panel noted that “human influence has warmed the climate at a rate that is unprecedented in at least the last 2000 years.””
What the sources say
- Not matchedcites IPCC, 2021
Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedCausal:direct· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✗ Load-bearing: fails✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim. The paper’s conclusions may not depend on it.
- Not matched
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Hence, archaeologists have been at the forefront of calling attention to the climate crisis and using archaeology’s long-term perspectives as a framework for finding sustainable solutions (e.g., Chase & Scarborough, 2014; Rick & Sandweiss, 2020).”
What the sources say
Strength:plain· not yet calibratedTests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes? Load-bearing: unclear✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Access, or lack of access, to relevant literature and funding shapes how research projects are conceptualized and determines the scope and implementation of such projects.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
A conclusion the paper draws from its own results — it cites no other source for it, so there is none to check. The quote shows it is in the paper.
In the paper
“Global disparities in knowledge production will remain intact until Western state actors dismantle the roadblocks they have created to prevent many Africa-based scholars from traveling to European and North American countries for professional conferences.”
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesProbably not a substantial claim.
- Rests on an assumption: Several Africa-based archaeologists missed some of the recent SAfA conferences in Europe and North America because they were denied visas.
- Rests on an assumption: Scholars from the global north have nearly unfettered access to Africa.
None of the sources cited for this claim have been checked yet.
In the paper
“Also, due to resource scarcity and resource mismanagement, many African institutions may put subscriptions to archaeology journals at the bottom of their priorities, making it difficult for Africa-based scholars to access current literature in their field and publish in high profile journals (also see Mekonnen et al., 2021).”
What the sources say
- Not checked yetcites Mekonnen et al., 2021 source
Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.
Tests✓ Asserted: passes✓ Checkable: passes✓ Load-bearing: passes✓ Based: passesIt may state two separate claims as one.
- Not checked yet
The paper relies on this without support.
Several Africa-based archaeologists missed some of the recent SAfA conferences in Europe and North America because they were denied visas.
“Several Africa-based archaeologists missed some of the recent SAfA conferences in Europe and North America because they were denied visas.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Scholars from the global north have nearly unfettered access to Africa.
“In contrast, scholars from the global north have nearly unfettered access to Africa.”
The paper relies on this without support.
There are cases of desperation, whereby at-risk communities eking out a living from dwindling resources have unwittingly desecrated sacred groves, destroyed archaeological sites, and exacerbated biodiversity loss.
“There are also cases of desperation, whereby at-risk communities eking out a living from dwindling resources have unwittingly desecrated sacred groves, destroyed archaeological sites, and exacerbated biodiversity loss.”
The paper relies on this without support.
Even those sites under institutional protection are not often spared from destruction in countries with weak government monitoring systems.
“Even those sites under institutional protection are not often spared from destruction in countries with weak government monitoring systems.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The ongoing civil war in Ethiopia, recent uprising in South Africa, and continued insecurity in the Sahara-Sahel axis, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, among others, have also elevated the hardship for millions of people and shut out or reduced archaeological research in active conflict zones.
“The ongoing civil war in Ethiopia, recent uprising in South Africa, and continued insecurity in the Sahara-Sahel axis, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, and Cameroon, among others, have also elevated the hardship for millions of people and shut out or reduced archaeological research in active conflict zones.”
The paper relies on this without support.
The archaeology of social complexity typically focuses on the grandeur of monuments, state formation, long-distance trade, hierarchies, technology, production, lavish consumption, and elaborate material life.
“The archaeology of social complexity typically focuses on the grandeur of monuments, state formation, long-distance trade, hierarchies, technology, production, lavish consumption, and elaborate material life.”
The paper relies on this without support.
African institutions remain profoundly colonized even when they are mostly run by Africans.
“Rather, to begin the difficult journey of decolonization, we must have the humility to accept that this is not an easy process considering how profoundly colonized African institutions remain even when they are mostly run by Africans.”
The paper relies on this without support.
It is not unusual for graduate students to rely on paltry family resources to conduct fieldwork.
“It is not unusual for graduate students to rely on paltry family resources to conduct fieldwork.”
Self-check
Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.
Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.
Listed program items exceed the stated 24 sessions
MinorThe listed items total 26: four plenaries, two roundtables, one student session, eighteen research panels, and one business meeting. Even excluding the business meeting, the listed sessions total 25.
Reported 24 · recomputed 26
“24 sessions, including four plenaries, two roundtable panels, one session for student-related activities, eighteen research panels, and a business meeting.”
Conference dates span more than twenty-three days
MinorAugust 17 through September 28 spans 43 calendar days inclusive, not twenty-three days.
“a twenty-three-day online event”
“Lasting from August 17 through September 28”
Citations
Cites
Climate Change 2007: The Physical Science Basis.
Schiavon, S., & Zecchin, R. (2007) · eScholarship (California Digital Library) · Cited by 16,994
The impact of COVID‐19 on African economies: An introduction
Anyanwu, J. C., & Salami, A. O. (2021) · African Development Review · doi:10.1111/1467-8268.12531 · Cited by 138
Archaeology, climate, and global change in the Age of Humans
Rick, T. C., & Sandweiss, D. H. (2020) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.2003612117 · Cited by 101
Douglass, K., & Cooper, J. (2020) · Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences · doi:10.1073/pnas.1914211117 · Cited by 95
Lane, P. J. (2015) · Journal of Field Archaeology · doi:10.1179/2042458215y.0000000022 · Cited by 78
Ogundiran, A. (2020) · doi:10.2307/j.ctv177thv2 · Cited by 48
Self-citationAfrican heritage in a changing climate
Brooks, N., Clarke, J., Ngaruiya, G. W., & Wangui, E. E. (2020) · Azania: Archaeological Research in Africa · doi:10.1080/0067270x.2020.1792177 · Cited by 41
Historical perspectives on contemporary human–environment dynamics in southeast Africa
Douglass, K., Walz, J., Quintana Morales, E., Marcus, R., Myers, G., & Pollini, J. (2019) · Conservation Biology · doi:10.1111/cobi.13244 · Cited by 33
The Archaeology of Poverty and the Poverty of Archaeology
Orser, C. E. (2011) · International Journal of Historical Archaeology · doi:10.1007/s10761-011-0153-y · Cited by 29
Davies, M. I. J. (2012) · African Archaeological Review · doi:10.1007/s10437-012-9118-8 · Cited by 28
Flagged first, then by citations
Cited by
Sorted by citations
African Archaeological Journals and Social Issues 2014–2021
Claassen, C. (2023) · Humans · doi:10.3390/humans3010004 · Cited by 3
On Food, Pots, Gender, Iron, and Archaeological Theory: Interview with Professor Randi Haaland
Varadzinová, L., & Jakoubek, M. (2022) · African Archaeological Review · doi:10.1007/s10437-021-09468-0 · Cited by 2
“All the world's a stage…”: A Valedictory Note
Ogundiran, A. (2023) · African Archaeological Review · doi:10.1007/s10437-023-09572-3
Self-citation
Metadata
- Authors
- Ogundiran, A.
- Affiliations
- University of North Carolina at Charlotte (US)
- Corresponding author
- Ogundiran, Akin
- Venue
- African Archaeological Review
- Published
- 2021-09
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 397-401
- ISSN
- 0263-0338 (ISSN-L)
- 1572-9842
- PMC
- PMC8417634
- OpenAlex
- W3198066681
- Cited by
- 3
- References
- 17
- Citations by year
- 2023: 2 · 2022: 1
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- hybrid
- doi.org
- Licence
- Locations
- African Archaeological Review (publishedVersion, other-oa)
- PubMed Central (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Archeology › Archaeology and Rock Art Studies
- Social Sciences › Anthropology › Historical and Cultural Archaeology Studies
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › African Studies and Ethnography
- Keywords
- COVID-19 pandemic, visa refusal, virtual conference, academic mobility, economic impact of lockdown
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