Thrilled to share that I have defended my PhD. I am thankful to my Supervisor Prof. Julio Mercader Florín, Examination Committee, SSHRC, U Calgary The Leakey Foundation National Museum of Tanzania colleagues, friends, and family for their support during this journey. I am looking forward to the future.

Aloyce Mwambwiga, PhD passed his viva today! 5 years of collaboration, extreme resilience, real partnership, and also friendship 🙏 A Tanzanian PhD working on phytoliths from Oldupai Gorge now has 2 papers in the pipeline and a lab at home to continue the science! Congratulations!!

The desert that we see today in Arabia was once a region that repeatedly underwent 'green' periods in the past, as a result of periods of high rainfall, resulting in the formation of lakes and rivers around 9,000 years ago. #GreenArabia miragenews.com/unearthing-lus…

Big thanks to The University of Dodoma & U Calgary 🇹🇿🇨🇦 for backing our project and permit to uncover early human life at the cradle of humankind 🙏 #OldupaiGorge Stay tuned for discoveries ahead! #Paleoanthropology #HumanEvolution

It's the Toba volcanic super-eruption revival. Well done Gopesh Jha and colleagues! Our results underline the complex responses of regional environments to the Toba super-eruption, which extend beyond a simple widespread ‘volcanic winter’. #India #Toba academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/adva…

Did climate or social dynamics shape early farming & state formation in Ethiopia’s amazing Pre-Aksumite & Aksumite cultures? Our review in African Archaeological Review explores this. Hope it’s helpful!#Icarehb link.springer.com/article/10.100…

Our study in the news. "A new study reconstructing the Arabian Peninsula’s ancient past adds clues to how early humans left the African continent." nationalgeographic.com/environment/ar…

PhD Candidacy exam passed today! I am officially a candidate! Lots of appreciations to my committee Steve Hubbard Prof. Julio Mercader Florín Paul Durkin and @Jen Galloway. Thanks to the The Leakey Foundation Canadian Association of Palynologists / L’ACP University of Dar es Salaam and U Calgary for supporting my research!

Ancient starch research rests on a paradox: A molecule known to degrade rapidly is assumed to survive for tens of thousands of years. Our data show active microbial metabolism in buried contexts. Time to dismantle the myth... linkedin.com/feed/update/ur… sciencedirect.com/science/articl…

If interested on starch degradation in archaeological contexts...don't miss this! doi.org/10.1016/j.soil…

We are pleased to extend our congratulations to one of MOWAA’s very own archaeologists, Abidemi Babatunde Babalola, as a 2025 winner of The Dan David Prize, the world’s largest history prize.

¡Nos vemos el próximo martes en las IIe Journées Européennes d'Archéologie en la Casa de Velázquez! MIAS - Madrid Institute for Advanced Study Filosofía y Letras | UAM

July 12, Arte: documentary film on Ile-Ife featuring many of our great Nigerian colleagues and the Team of the Ife-Sungbo Archaeological Project. Film is multilingual with sub-titles in English.

15 days to go! Proud to keep advancing research + training #OldupaiGorge 🙏 The University of Dodoma + U Calgary Team's fired up, Some already in-country, others landing soon: Abel Shikoni MaríaSoto Aloyce Mwambwiga, PhD Raquel Hernando AbdallahMohamed Mwanamalundi🇹🇿 Ayoola Oladele

Let’s go!!

Fun upcoming this season! #TheFutureIsHere Can't wait!😊🫰

July! I became dual-qualified 🇳🇬🇨🇦

For some days now, here has been THE OFFICE! #datacollection #doctoralresearch #OldupaiGorge

New paper! MPI-GEA Jena UBUinvestiga Engaji Nanyori (Oldupai Gorge) offers rare insight into Acheulean technology during the Middle Pleistocene Transition (1.1–0.9 Ma). Stable flake production, minimal LCTs, and striking pan-African uniformity. Open access: link.springer.com/article/10.100…

“How Can It Cost Just N30K To Fly From Barcelona To Bristol In England But Just From Abuja To Lagos It Costs So Much More. This Doesn’t Make Sense At All”.-Man Cries Out