https://en.sputniknews.africa/20241204/cambridge-study-uncovers-350000-african-artifacts-highlights-ties-to-colonization-1069531555.html
Cambridge Study Uncovers 350,000 African Artifacts, Highlights Ties to Colonization
Cambridge Study Uncovers 350,000 African Artifacts, Highlights Ties to Colonization
Sputnik Africa
During British colonization, many artifacts were taken from colonies, often through coercive means such as military expeditions and outright looting, though... 04.12.2024, Sputnik Africa
2024-12-04T11:00+0100
2024-12-04T11:00+0100
2024-12-04T11:00+0100
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A University of Cambridge project has uncovered an estimated 350,000 African artifacts, manuscripts, human remains, and natural specimens stored across its collections. Dr. Eva Namusoke, who led the 15-month study, revealed that many items date back to British colonization, with several having violent histories of acquisition.Significant artifacts include 116 items linked to the 1897 British-led punitive expedition and looting of the Benin Kingdom in Nigeria, a gold necklace looted from Ghana during the Third Anglo-Asante War, as well as a small mammal collected in a Boer War (1899-1902) concentration camp. The University Library also holds an Abyssinian Bible from Ethiopia’s 1868 Maqdala expedition, labeled as taken during the storming of Magdala. Such acquisitions often involved theft, confiscation, or looting alongside gifting or purchasing.Dr. Namusoke also highlighted the often-overlooked contributions of African labor in the collection of these items.The findings, part of the "Collections-Connections-Communities" initiative, spotlight the need for further research and collaboration with African scholars and communities. Dr. Namusoke stressed that "the next big step is increasing visibility and allowing people to explore the collections themselves."This research sheds light on the enduring impact of colonization, prompting renewed discussions about museum practices and the ethical stewardship of historical artifacts.
https://en.sputniknews.africa/20241102/ethiopia-recovers-historical-artifact-stolen-156-years-ago-and-taken-away-by-uk-1069001050.html
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united kingdom (uk), university, north africa, artifact, science, egypt, museums, ghana, west africa, history, archeology, benin, nigeria, british colonialism, ethics
Cambridge Study Uncovers 350,000 African Artifacts, Highlights Ties to Colonization
Christina Glazkova
Writer / Editor
During British colonization, many artifacts were taken from colonies, often through coercive means such as military expeditions and outright looting, though some items were acquired legally. Today, calls for their repatriation are increasing, pressuring institutions like the British Museum to address the colonial origins of their collections.
A University of Cambridge project has
uncovered an estimated 350,000 African artifacts, manuscripts, human remains, and natural specimens stored across its collections. Dr. Eva Namusoke, who led the 15-month study, revealed that many items date back to
British colonization, with several having violent histories of acquisition.
Significant artifacts include 116 items linked to the 1897 British-led punitive expedition and looting of the
Benin Kingdom in Nigeria, a gold necklace looted from Ghana during the Third Anglo-Asante War, as well as a small mammal collected in a Boer War (1899-1902) concentration camp. The University Library also holds an Abyssinian Bible from Ethiopia’s 1868
Maqdala expedition, labeled as taken during the storming of Magdala. Such acquisitions often involved theft, confiscation, or looting alongside gifting or purchasing.
"I was prepared to find material like this, as it is the case in a lot of museums around the world," said Dr. Namusoke, who explained that colonization and 19th-century scientific collection methods "went very much hand in hand."
Dr. Namusoke also highlighted the often-overlooked contributions of African labor in the collection of these items.
“Cameroonian men lay on their stomachs for hours on end with test tubes to gather spiders and snails,” she noted, as cited by media, emphasizing that local expertise and creative labor were integral to these efforts.
The findings, part of the "Collections-Connections-Communities" initiative, spotlight the need for further research and collaboration with African scholars and communities. Dr. Namusoke stressed that "the next big step is increasing visibility and allowing people to explore the collections themselves."
This research sheds light on the enduring impact of colonization, prompting renewed discussions about museum practices and the
ethical stewardship of historical artifacts.
