Category: Blog
-
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.…
-
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…
-
Unearthing Stories from Castellaccio di Lentini
Written by – Kayla Mac Conachie This September, I joined the excavation at Castellaccio di Lentini (Sicily) — an incredible experience uncovering traces of past communities while surrounded by olive trees, Mount Etna, and Sicilian sunsets. Mount Etna is around 70 km to the north of the excavation. From early mornings under golden skies to…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
-
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…
AGRI-DRY 