Endangered Material Knowledge Programme

22/05/2025

Black and white images do have their critiques in visual anthropology, particularly when looking at the history of the discipline. However, it has been argued they also have their benefits, for example in the the way in which they capture depth, emotion, and texture. These images from Raoni Valle and Ivan Menezes Barreto Tukano's project, 'Rock Art Inter-Ontologies: Ethnography and Digital Safeguarding of Kumuã Knowledge on Petroglyph Sacred Places in Northwest Amazonia', depict ritual trances, storytelling, and connection with the rock art of the Yepá Mahsã (Tukano) people in Amazonia, Brazil.

Learn more: https://www.emkp.org/rock-art-inter-ontologies-ethnography-and-digital-safeguarding-of-kumua-knowledge-on-petroglyph-sacred-places-in-northwest-amazonia/

Raoni Bernardo Maranhão Valle (2024). Kumu Tarcísio touching a petroglyph.
Raoni Bernardo Maranhão Valle (2024). Miriãporãwi storytelling.
Raoni Bernardo Maranhão Valle (2024). Kumuã Tarcísio and Roberval in Miriãporãwi.

20/05/2025

Today is World Bee Day 🐝!

Did you know that 90% of the world’s wild flowering plant species depend, entirely, or at least in part, on pollinators? Pollinators are extremely important for the cultivation of food crops and agricultural land.*

Samuel Lunn-Rockliffe's EMKP project, 'Histories of Honey: Material Practices of Beekeeping in the Cherangani Hills, Kenya', demonstrates how beekeeping has been integral to the structuring of Sengwer and Marakwet indigenous lifeways and local forms of traditional ecological knowledge. The images here depict a beehive that has just been produced by the Sengwer people, and is being transported to and erected into a tree, to encourage the production of honey.

Learn more about the project here: https://www.emkp.org/histories-of-honey-material-practices-of-beekeeping-in-the-cherangani-hills-kenya-2/

1. Lunn-Rockliffe, Sam; Cheptorus, Joseph Kimutai (2022). Erecting beehive. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.20025401.v1
2. Lunn-Rockliffe, Sam; Cheptorus, Joseph Kimutai (2022). Erecting beehive. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.20025440.v1
3. Lunn-Rockliffe, Sam; Cheptorus, Joseph Kimutai (2022). Erecting beehive. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.20025434.v1
4. Lunn-Rockliffe, Sam; Cheptorus, Joseph Kimutai (2022). Erecting beehive. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.20025428.v1

*Source: www.un.org/en/observances/bee-day

07/05/2025

Issue 5 of the EMKP newsletter is here!

This issue includes an article on the Born-Digital Collections, Archives and Memory conference that EMKP co-organised with the University of London, a taste of the completed projects that have been uploaded onto the EMKP repository over the last few months, and glimpses into how EMKP grantees are disseminating their projects.

Issue highlight:
Last of the Bemba Bark Cloth Makers of Northern Zambia

Lawrence Barham

In this article, Lawrence Barham draws on his experience of documenting the material culture of bark cloth in northern Zambia, whilst paying tribute to a key artisan and knowledge-holder in the project, Mr John Mukopa, who passed away last year. To read more, check out page 3 of the newsletter.

Click the link to read: https://www.emkp.org/newsletter/

02/05/2025

A new collection has been uploaded onto the EMKP repository! Congratulations to Kodzo Gavua and the team for the completion of the digital collection that documents indigenous gold and silver forging in Kumasi, Ghana.

A bit more about this project:

For centuries, gold forging and ornamentation have been central elements of the Akan chieftaincy and Ghanaian royalty. Figureheads have thus engaged and commissioned traditional goldsmiths to produce regalia that symbolises particular clans and families. Smiths also serve the public, producing ornamentation to mark traditional milestones like birth, puberty, marriage, and even death. Globalisation is now threatening this rich tradition, impacting the industry, knowledge transfer, and appeal of traditional forged-gold items.

This project’s fieldwork took place in Kumasi, the Asante regional capital, between three gold and silver workshops whose production has not been altered by global markets and technological advances. In addition to the production process, the project team also sought to document spiritual, cognitive, and social phenomena that may underpin the smiths’ operations. A total of six knowledge-holders contributed, including the Asante King’s personal smith and the Asante Regional Chairman of the Federation of Ghanaian Goldsmiths and Jewelers Association.

Check out the full collection here: https://www.emkp.org/gold-silver-forging-kumasi-ghana/

Image credits:
1. Marley, Jacob Nii (2025). Inspection of a gold necklace. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.28797035.v1
2. Marley, Jacob Nii (2025). Gold necklace. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.28797053.v1
3. Marley, Jacob Nii (2025). Soldering of gold strip. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.28796951.v1
4. Marley, Jacob Nii (2025). Firing of gold necklace. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.28797071.v1
5. Marley, Jacob Nii (2025). Hammering of a gold necklace. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.28797122.v1

29/04/2025

The deadline to apply to our Project Curator role has been extended to Monday 5th May, at 12:00PM GMT.

As a reminder, we are currently recruiting an established professional to join the EMKP with a background in anthropology, archaeology, or a related discipline, and experience in digital asset management. Key responsibilities include providing specialist understanding of material culture/knowledge with experience of ethnographic documentation to support EMKP grantees, and to support EMKP’s Head in the management of EMKP’s digital collection including the digital repository upload, digital asset workflows, and reviewing grants results.

To apply, click the link:

Project Curator: Endangered Material Knowledge Programme Africa Oceania and the Americas Full-time (41 hours per week) Fixed term (until 1 February 2028) £43,207 per annum Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 10 March 2025

25/04/2025

Feeling creative? Perhaps these detailed drawings from Alfredo González Ruibal's completed project might lend some inspiration. Alfredo's project documented the endangered material knowledge practices of 5 minority communities in Western Ethiopia, utilising a wide range of documentation methods, including scaled drawings!

Browse the collection with the link in bio (Repository Uploads: Ethnic minorities and threatened materialities in Western Ethiopia).

González-Ruibal, Alfredo; Falquina Aparicio, Alvaro (2024). Drum. The British Museum. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.27205281.v1

González-Ruibal, Alfredo; Falquina Aparicio, Alvaro (2024). Calabash pipe. The British Museum. https://doi.org/10.25420/britishmuseum.27260031.v1

23/04/2025

Do you have experience of anthropological or archaeological field-based research of the global south?
Are you skilled in digital preservation and/or digital asset management experience?

Then we would love to hear from you!

We are currently recruiting for a Project Curator. Deadline is the 2nd May (12PM GMT).

Project Curator: Endangered Material Knowledge Programme Africa Oceania and the Americas Full-time (41 hours per week) Fixed term (until 1 February 2028) £43,207 per annum Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 10 March 2025

21/04/2025

It's today, and what better way to celebrate than to spotlight Patrick Maundu's project which documents the the foodway heritage of the magnificent baobab tree, with the Mijikenda people of Coastal Kenya.

The use of the baobab tree and its fruit are multi-faceted: the leaves are a vegetable and the edible, sour fruit pulp finds a lot of culinary uses. Besides these direct food uses, the baobab has a host of other food related uses – from being a habitat for edible mushrooms, a source of fibre for weaving baskets, a placement for barrel beehives, to a source of traps for edible rodents.

James Kioko Muia, 2023. Baobab tree.
Moses Kyalo Musyoki, 2023. Baobab fruit.
Patrick Munyao Maundu, 2023. Baobab tree.
Moses Kyalo Musyoki, 2023. Use of baobab bark for medicine.
Patrick Munyao Maundu, 2023. Baobab fruit.

https://www.emkp.org/documenting-endangered-foodway-heritage-of-the-baobab-tree-among-the-mijikenda-of-coastal-kenya/

17/04/2025

Reminder! We are still currently recruiting for a Project Curator to join our EMKP team. We are ideally looking for a specialist with knowledge and experience in ethnographic documentation, and the management of digital assets.

If this sounds like you, apply here:

Project Curator: Endangered Material Knowledge Programme Africa Oceania and the Americas Full-time (41 hours per week) Fixed term (until 1 February 2028) £43,207 per annum Application deadline: 12pm (midday) on 10 March 2025

15/04/2025

In a project collaboratively designed with knowledge holders of the Cashinahua People of Peruvian Amazonia, Giancarlo and the project team have been documenting the production and use of ritual paraphernalia associated with celebrations aimed at multiplying human and other than human life.
The following images display some of the key steps in the production of arrows.

Dasha Vayn, 2024. Picking feathers from basket, close up.
Dasha Vayn, 2024. Picking feathers from basket, full body.
Dasha Vayn, 2024. Black wax coloring bow.

11/04/2025

EMKP is hiring! We are recruiting for a Project Curator with a specialist background in anthropology, archaeology, or a related discipline, and experience in digital asset management.

The main responsibilities of the role include: provide specialist understanding of material culture/knowledge, and of documentation methods including digital asset management, and to support EMKP Head in the management of the EMKP digital collection.

To learn more, click the link below, then click 'search vacancies'. Then click the 'Project Curator: EMKP' role.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/about-us/jobs

Deadline: 2 May 2025 (12PM GMT)

We are always looking for talented people to join us.

20/02/2025

Do you have specialist knowledge in material culture, visual anthropology and ethnographic digital documentation? EMKP is currently recruiting for a Project Curator to join the team and support EMKP's Head with managing grants and the digital collection. Apply here: https://ow.ly/KY3Z50V1uTM
Deadline: 10th March 2025