Written by Kayla Mac Conachie
In July 2026, members of the AGRI-DRY project travelled to the University of Mpumalanga in Mbombela, South Africa, to participate in the biennial conference of the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists (ASAPA). Held from 5–9 July, ASAPA 2026 brought together archaeologists, heritage practitioners, students and researchers working across Southern Africa and beyond. The conference covered an impressive range of topics, from archaeobotany, palaeoenvironmental reconstruction and geoarchaeology to heritage management, archaeological science and new approaches to understanding past human-environment interactions.
For AGRI-DRY, the event provided an opportunity not only to share some of the research currently being undertaken within the project, but also to consider a broader question central to our work: How can knowledge of past environments and agricultural systems contribute to conversations about resilience and adaptation today?
As part of the conference programme, Kayla Mac Conachie (DC1) organised a dedicated AGRI-DRY session titled “Past Environments, Future Adaptation: Archaeology as a Tool for Policy Making.” The session brought together researchers from within and beyond the project to explore how archaeological, environmental and historical research, through an understanding of long-term human responses to environmental change, can contribute to tackling contemporary challenges. Thamary Mukuya (DC7) and Mncedisi Taala (DC10) presented emerging findings from their respective doctoral research projects.
Reflecting on her presentation under the title “Spatial and Temporal Distribution of Crops in Drylands: Preliminary Findings from Africa and Mediterranean Europe,” Thamary stated:
“I had the privilege of presenting my archaeobotanical crop database at the ASAPA 2026 Conference, showing how long-term dryland crop records can be transformed into evidence-based insights for today’s food security challenges. This directly echoed the keynote speaker’s powerful call for an archaeology that speaks to the present and shapes real-world solutions. My work resonates deeply with that vision; turning ancient plant data into knowledge that matters now, for resilience, policy, and the future of dryland agriculture.”
Mncedisi’s presentation, “Harnessing Traditional Ecological Knowledge from Dryland Crop Farming for Climate Adaptation: Preliminary Insights from Past Traditional Agricultural Practices in Botswana,” explored the potential of traditional agricultural practices and ecological knowledge to inform contemporary approaches to climate adaptation in dryland environments.
The session was further enriched by contributions from researchers outside the AGRI-DRY network, discussing past vegetation and climate change, ancient environmental analogues and the application of artificial intelligence and data science to archaeological research.
Together, the presentations highlighted the value of examining past human-environment relationships and considering how archaeological evidence may contribute to contemporary discussions surrounding agricultural resilience, climate adaptation and sustainable land management.
AGRI-DRY principal investigator and supervisor Prof. Alex Schoeman also participated in the conference, presenting her own research in other sessions.
Beyond the organised session, ASAPA 2026 provided valuable opportunities for networking, exchanging ideas and engaging with the wider Southern African archaeological community. Throughout the conference, the AGRI-DRY doctoral candidates took the opportunity to introduce the project to other researchers and conference participants. Information packs containing links to the AGRI-DRY website were distributed to help raise awareness of the project’s research activities and objectives.
For Mncedisi, this collective effort was one of the highlights of the conference:
“What I particularly appreciated about the conference was the opportunity for us as DCs 1, 7 and 10 (Kayla, Thamary and myself) to jointly raise awareness of the AGRI-DRY project.”
He also reflected on the positive feedback received on his presentation and the chance to establish professional connections:
“Another highlight was the opportunity to meet professionals working across a range of research themes. These interactions were particularly useful, and I am pleased to say that I remain in contact with some of the people I met at the conference.”
The conference offered an engaging and informative programme, with presentations addressing a broad range of archaeological research questions, methodologies and regional perspectives. For the AGRI-DRY team, participation in ASAPA 2026 provided an opportunity to share developing research, strengthen connections with the Southern African archaeological community and contribute to discussions about the relevance of archaeological knowledge to present-day environmental and societal challenges.
The three AGRI-DRY doctoral candidates at ASAPA 2026 conference (photo credit: K. Mac Conachie)
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