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For many years, Tanzania’s numerous cultural heritage sites were under the control of the country’s Department of Antiquities. Then, in 2018, the government delegated this responsibility to various other institutions as part of an effort to turn the country’s cultural heritage assets into engines of socio-economic development through tourism. However, a new study argues that many of the organisations now responsible for the sites lack the necessary cultural heritage management expertise. The situation is worsened, the researchers believe, by an unwillingness to engage with local communities with connections to the sites, nor with expertise based at academic institutions in Tanzania and beyond. Their findings, recently published in Antiquity (https://doi.org/10.15184/aqy.2026.10361), are based on four case studies involving multiple seasons of field visits and interviews with stakeholders.
At two of the sites in question, the researchers conclude that the construction of tourism infrastructure has done significant damage to the heritage present. The first, Kilwa Kisiwani, is home to the largest medieval settlement and gold trading centre in East Africa and has been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1981. Despite this, the authors say, the recent construction of various visitor facilities at the site was carried out without sufficient cultural heritage impact assessment. Two large buildings were erected, starkly out of keeping with their surroundings in both scale and style. Several toilet blocks were also constructed on-site, including one directly behind an ancient mosque, violating Islamic norms for spatial distancing between such structures. The construction of these structures, as well as a footpath across the site, is reported to have involved digging into previously unexcavated areas without appropriate monitoring to record the archaeological finds brought up during the process. According to one of the paper’s authors, Dr Elgidius Ichumbaki, ‘contractors building a toilet behind the Small Mosque dug up mysterious medieval foundations, but instead of pausing the work to bring in archaeologists, they destroyed the ruins and discarded the critical artefacts.’
The second site, Laetoli, is famous for its rich palaeontological and archaeological deposits, including ancient hominin trackways dating to 3.66 million years ago. Following a presidential directive over a decade ago, a project began to make the site in the UNESCO-listed Ngorongoro Conservation Area accessible to visitors. This time, an impact assessment was carried out before the construction of an on-site museum; this led to the discovery of another set of hominin and animal tracks in 2014/2015, which stopped work at the site. But, when the project resumed, the researchers say it was without expert consultation. Two structures were built – one at the middle section of another set of trackways that were of cultural significance to the Masai community – as well as two walkways crossing the site. This involved land levelling and the use of a heavy mechanical excavator, apparently with little consideration for its impact on undocumented archaeology at this important location.
At the other two sites, the authors report that the institutions responsible failed to work with local communities who had ties to the heritage sites. The UNESCO-designated landscape of Kondoa Irangi is home to a series of rock-art sites, which are of continuing importance to the people of this region, who frequently carry out ritual activities there. Some of these ceremonies do impact the art, as they involve pouring libations over them. However, the study reports, rather than working with local people to steward the sites, the government erected cages around the artwork. This approach was unsuccessful: the local community simply tore the barriers down so that they could continue to access their sacred sites. Meanwhile, to attract tourists to Kondoa, concrete platforms were built across the floors of several rock-shelters, which the managing institutions justified as minimising dust and water damage. However, the researchers argue that more appropriate interventions are required. A gravel road was also constructed in the area; once again, the study states that this did not involve sufficient cultural heritage impact assessment or monitoring of the archaeology disrupted.
The final site is known as the Kaiija Tree, in Katuruka. Excavations here revealed an ancient centre of iron production under and around the Early Iron Age shrine, but despite prompts to protect the site in the 1970s and 1980s, little was done, and the tree was killed in the 1990s by a neighbouring landowner. More recently, Katuruka villagers launched a project to preserve local oral traditions and sacred sites like Kaiija, which has faced opposition from other private parties. The study reports that the villagers have appealed to the government several times, but that the Department of Antiquities appears to be reluctant to work with the community to preserve this important piece of local heritage.
In presenting these concerns, the authors hope that their findings may encourage changes to national policy to ensure a sustainable heritage future for Tanzania.
Text: Amy Brunskill / Images: Elgidius B Ichumbaki and Peter R Schmidt, Antiquity; Elgidius B Ichumbaki
