Project description
Identity formation in East Africa
Research into the complex histories of East African communal and individual identities will help establish a new theoretical framework for East African historical archaeology. Understanding when and why particular objects are chosen as identity markers and how their use in daily life changes through time is crucial to understanding how communities interact and form. The EU-funded project HEAAT aims to develop a high-resolution record of material culture and identity change among the Ilchamus of Kenya over the past 200 years. The project will conduct training in ethnoarchaeology, archaeological and anthropological theory and multivariate statistics. It will also investigate old and new archaeological records, archive and museum collections, oral histories, and GIS datasets. The project will develop a theory for East African historical archaeology, stimulate discussions on identity and bring archaeology closer to history and anthropology.
Objective
HEAAT aims to develop a multidisciplinary, theory-focused and data-driven research framework and agenda for East African historical archaeology that will privilege the research of the internal dynamics of African communities and account for the region’s history of complex identities. By investigating a 200-year, high-resolution record of material culture and identity change among the Ilchamus community in Kenya, from c. 1800 to the present, the action will identify when and why certain objects are chosen as identity markers and how identities are negotiated, addressing questions raised by recent historical research.
Historical archaeology in Africa has been drawn into a Eurocentric discussion with a focus on colonial disruption, pushing aside studies of communities in their own right and investment into archaeological theory in the region. Moreover, existing historical archaeological frameworks are not adapted to the African social and historical contexts, its alternative information sources and the multi-layered and multi-scalar identities that characterise the landscape, thus emphasizing the need to develop new approaches.
To achieve its goal, the theory-focused action includes the investigation of old and new archaeological, archival, oral historical, GIS and other materials already collected, and training in ethnoarchaeology and multivariate statistics. Special emphasis is put on training in theoretical thought (with a focus on materiality, collective action and assemblage theories) as the most significant component of the action.
The action will stimulate global discussions on identity formation in archaeology and anthropology, and it will facilitate cross-disciplinary interaction between history, anthropology and archaeology, which currently follow separate lines of research in the region. Through the advanced training, the ER will advance his career prospects in academia and establish long-lasting multidisciplinary research networks.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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H2020-EU.1.3. - EXCELLENT SCIENCE - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
MAIN PROGRAMME
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H2020-EU.1.3.2. - Nurturing excellence by means of cross-border and cross-sector mobility
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) H2020-MSCA-IF-2019
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
CB2 1TN CAMBRIDGE
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.