Welcome to our blog! 📖
Here, we share the moments that make our research journey unique — from fieldwork stories and community interactions to data dives and policy discussions. Whether we’re uncovering ancient practices, modelling patterns, or learning from traditional knowledge, every step brings us closer to understanding resilience in a changing world.
Whether we’re out collecting data, crunching numbers, or making sense of ancient clues, our team is always on the move — and sometimes just trying to make sense of it all.
Join us as we dig into data, trek through the field, and occasionally laugh at our own scientific chaos!
Yours in data and dirt,
Team AGRI-DRY🌱
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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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Latest news from Agri-Dry
AGRI-DRY call for ASAPA abstracts
We announce a call for abstracts for the AGRI-DRY session, “Past Environments, Future Adaptation: Archaeology as a Tool for Policy Making”, at the ASAPA 2026 Conference organised by the Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists. Poster credit: Kayla Mac Conachie 🔗 Submissions: https://asapa2026.co.za/submissions.php🗓 Abstract submission deadline: 31 January 2026📍 The conference will be held from…
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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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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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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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