TITLE:
Archaeology and Heritage Resource Management in Siuyu, Singida Region (Tanzania)
AUTHORS:
Makarius Peter Itambu, Nazarius Michael Hongoa
KEYWORDS:
Archaeology, Heritage Conservation, Cultural and Natural Resources, Tourism
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.4 No.6,
June
13,
2016
ABSTRACT: This
paper was produced as a part of our ongoing research endeavors in Singida
destined to provide a better understanding of early humans’ cultures, and to
promote the conservation of cultural and natural heritages of the region. The
overreaching goals of this research are to holistically reconstruct the
archaeology of Singida by studying cultural processes over time and space.
Equally important is to promote tourism in the Singida eastern axis and, to
salvage the heritage assets of the region from total disappearance as evinced
by the activities of modern day civilization, broadly, to shed more light about
the past life ways, and the subsistence behaviours of our ancestors. Our recent
archaeological reconnaissance conducted in January 2016 in Siuyu ward
discovered rock paintings and a rock shelter with archeological potential (Ngaghe
rock shelter), containing a large scatter of Later Stone Age (LSA)
archaeological artifacts that are crucial to the unravelling of the prehistoric
human behaviours in Singida. Preliminary results from our research revealed
that Singida region is an ideal place for undertaking research on early human
bio-cultural evolution from LSA times to the present. Data from this study will
be utilized to re-write the history of Singida region, to make sure that it is
sustained for future generations. Despite their rarity, uniqueness, scientific
and aesthetic values, these heritage assets are neither protected by village
nor regional by-laws. Before deliberate conservation measures are put in place,
it is very important to have good records of the areas that are attractive to
tourism, and their current state of preservation. These sites were undocumented
by the previous researchers, and in certain circumstances are unknown even to
the local people of the Siuyu ward. Although the archaeology of Singida east is
much “terra incognita”,
this article is timely, for promoting archaeo-tourism and raising public
awareness on the archaeology of Singida. Additionally, this work provides a
stimulus to the authorities to take action by introducing effective
conservation measures for the sustainability of these priceless non-renewable
resources.