Author: Mudit Joshi
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Exploring Ziwa: first encounters with a precolonial farming landscape
Written by – Tawanda Mushweshwe On 3rd December 2025, I had my first visit to the Ziwa National Monument in the Nyanga Highlands. This was an orientation visit to help me understand the nature of the site, which will assist me in preparing for our fieldwork scheduled for early next year, provided the weather allows.…
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AGRI-DRY team undertake preliminary ethnographic fieldwork in Botswana
On the 18th and 19th of November 2025, AGRI-DRY Doctoral Candidates (DC 3 Sara Scaglia; DC 6 Sara Krubeck; DC 7 Thamary Mukuya; and DC 10 Mncedisi Taala) carried out preliminary ethnographic fieldwork in Eastern Botswana. They were supported by members of the AGRI-DRY Supervisory Team, namely Marco Madella, Sarah Mothulatshipi, and Lokwalo Thabeng. The…
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PhD candidate Mncedisi Taala defends proposal in Botswana
Last month, Doctoral Candidate 10, Mncedisi Taala, presented and defended his PhD proposal titled “How Can We Devise a More Sustainable Food Production System Building on Traditional Ecological Knowledge” to the History Department at the University of Botswana.The presentation forms part of the AGRI-DRY project’s ongoing effort to share its research with a wide range…
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Research in motion – UPF PhDs share their summer stories
Written by – Sara Scaglia & Sara Krubeck Summer didn’t mean slowing down for our UPF Doctoral Candidates. Between conferences, research visits, and new collaborations, Sara Scaglia and Sara Krubeck have plenty to share, both in their work and in the adventures that came with it. Read below to hear about their summer journeys and…
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Fieldwork in South Africa takes place as part of the AGRI-DRY project
In mid-September, AGRI-DRY members travel to North West Province, South Africa, to core a several-thousand-year-old peatland and explore its vegetation history. While AGRI-DRY explores dryland agriculture over time, one aspect of this work involves establishing the history of land use and land cover through studying peatlands as palaeoenvironmental archives. The fieldwork in South Africa hence…
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The ancient genius of drylands
Written by – Mudit Joshi Drylands don’t often make headlines. They’re not lush like rainforests or dramatic like melting glaciers. But behind their cracked soils lies one of the most surprising biological stories. Drylands cover over 40% of the planet’s land surface, across six continents, and quietly support more than two billion people. Despite limited…
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Kayla represents AGRI-DRY at SAYAS blogging workshop
On May 8th, 2025, Kayla from the University of Salento attended the SAYAS Blogging Workshop, organized by the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS). The event focused on using social media to make science more accessible and relatable. Naturally, Kayla brought her A-game! When asked about her role at the event, Kayla shared,“I was…
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A week full of learnings: AGRI-DRY Summer School at the University of Salento
Written by – Sara Krubeck A magnificent week (April 7 to 11, 2025) of field trips, scientific training, and lively discussions in southern Italy is over, and I’m excited to share with you our group experience! I am Sara Krubeck, archaeologist, archaeobotanist and currently a doctoral candidate in the international AGRI-DRY doctoral network. Together with…
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From the Sahara to Sahel: tracing human adaptation through time
Written by – Sara Scaglia Hello everyone! I am Sara Scaglia, an Italian archaeologist with a major in archaeobotany. In my life, I lived in Italy, Sweden, and Germany in pursuit of having as extensive an understanding as possible of both field (research and commercial excavations) and lab work. I am currently one of the…
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