100 years of rock art research in Mozambique

Challenges for the interpretation of Southern African prehistory

Public lecture by Décio Muianga

as part of the Public Lecture Series Rock Art & Symbolic Expression. A Southern Africa – France Dialogue

Thursday 14 June 2018

18:00 for 18:30 | Sci-Bono Speak2AScientist

Sci-Bono Discovery Centre Auditorium, Miriam Makeba St & Helen Joseph Street, Newtown, Johannesburg

Décio José Dias Muianga is a Mozambican archaeology researcher and lecturer at the Department of Archaeology and Anthropology of Eduardo Mondlane University. As a researcher, he has been involved in many archaeology and heritage management projects in Mozambique, and he provided academic backup support about “Space, Resources & Culture of Mozambique: 0-1600”. His lectures cover a wide diversity of subjects, from “Genesis of Human Evolution” to “Hunter-gatherers Societies of the World” and “Rock Art of the World”. As a whole, his scientific involvement ranges from rock art research to Stone Age areas, as well as Early Farming Communities and underwater technology.

Since 2012 he has also been conducting research in Public Policy and Culture at Kaleidoscopio, namely in order to design and manage archaeological, historical and heritage projects in Mozambique. There, he led several archaeological impact assessments and he designed archaeological impact assessments and heritage education programs.

Décio Muianga studied at the Rock Art Research Institute of the University of the Witwatersrand, from which he graduated in with MA in archaeology. There, he was able to nurture a comprehensive approach of his research field, by seizing every opportunity to join prehistorical research-related projects: ceramic, Rock Art, Lithic technology, photography courses adapted to exhibitions… As a postgraduate student, he further trained in archaeological survey, artefacts excavation and analysis, archaeological exhibition organisation as well as sites tour guiding, while participating in Heritage Management Plans and supervising undergraduate students in fieldwork activities. Such activities allowed him to witness the archaeological diversity of the region outside of Mozambique, notably in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Botswana.

As a member of The Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA), he was licensed to carry out Archaeological Impact Assessment in Mozambique and SADC Region in 2008. In 2010, he also became a member of The Pan-African Association of Archaeology and Related Studies as part of the Forum for the qualified research Africans archaeologists. He is the author of several publications, such as “Episodes and relationships in the Rock Art of HOR-1”, ‘Rock Art and Ancient Material Culture of Cahora Bassa Dam” and the article “Conservação de estações arqueológicas com pinturas rupestres” of the Manual de Conservação do Património Cultural Imóvel em Moçambique.

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