About us

The working group „African Archaeology and Archaeobotany“ of the Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Archaeological Sciences, was founded in the 1990s and is directed by Peter Breunig and Katharina Neumann. Our interdisciplinary research concentrates on the cultural development in Africa and its interdependency with climate and vegetation change. For West Africa, we have established basic chronological sequences of settlement history (2000 BC – 1500 AD) and vegetation history (10,000 BC – today). Current archaeological work focuses on the Nok culture of the first millennium BC in Central Nigeria. Archaeobotany investigates plant use and environmental change; its working areas extend from Mali to Kenya and the chronological frame from 2.5 million years ago until historical times.

Numerous post-docs, PhD and graduate students are integrated in the research projects. Within the Magister and the BA programs (from winter term 2011 onwards), we regularly offer courses on global archaeobotany and African archaeology, including excursions to Africa.

The Journal of African Archaeology is edited and directed by Sonja Magnavita since 2003.

Our working group regularly hosts guest researchers from Africa, Europe and America who appreciate our comprehensive collections, the library and the productive scientific atmosphere.