Sada Mire
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Sada Mire (born July 1976) ( Somali: ''Sacda Mire'',
Arabic Arabic (, , or , ) is a Central Semitic languages, Central Semitic language of the Afroasiatic languages, Afroasiatic language family spoken primarily in the Arab world. The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) assigns lang ...
: سعدة ميرة‎) is a Swedish-Somali
archaeologist Archaeology or archeology is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of Artifact (archaeology), artifacts, architecture, biofact (archaeology), biofacts or ecofacts, ...
, art historian and presenter from the
Arap The Arap or Arab (, , Full Name: ''Muḥammad ibn ash-Shaykh Isḥāq ibn Aḥmad bin al-Ḥusayn al-Hāshimīy'') clan is a major Northern Somali clan of the wider Isaaq clan family. The Arap predominantly live on the middle and southwest side ...
clan, who is currently a professor of Heritage Studies at
University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
. She is a public intellectual and heritage activist who has argued that cultural heritage is a basic human need in her 2014 TEDxEuston talk. In 2017, Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts selected Mire as one of their 30 international thinkers and writers. She became the Director of Antiquities of Somaliland in 2007. Raised in the Somali capital of
Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
, Mire fled the country at the start of the
civil war A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...
at the age of 15. She then traveled to
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
seeking asylum. She has since returned to the Horn of Africa as an archaeologist.


Early life and education

Sada Mire was born in
Hargeisa Hargeisa ( ; ; ) is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Somaliland, a ''List of states with limited recognition, de facto'' sovereign state in the Horn of Africa, still considered internationally to be part of Somalia. It is also th ...
,
Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...
, in 1977 before relocating to
Mogadishu Mogadishu, locally known as Xamar or Hamar, is the capital and List of cities in Somalia by population, most populous city of Somalia. The city has served as an important port connecting traders across the Indian Ocean for millennia and has ...
with her family. Her father was as a police official who died during the early stages of the collapse of the Somali state when she was 12. After this traumatic experience, in 1991, she fled Somalia with her mother and siblings on a relative's
lorry A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport freight, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructio ...
during the
Somali Civil War The Somali Civil War (; ) is an List of ongoing armed conflicts, ongoing civil war that is taking place in Somalia. It grew out of resistance to the military junta which was led by Siad Barre during the 1980s. From 1988 to 1990, the Somali Armed ...
. Mire and her identical twin, Sohur, emigrated to
Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...
where an older sister lived and received asylum. The twins later moved to the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
to study. Mire studied Scandinavian pre-history and archaeozoology at
Lund University Lund University () is a Public university, public research university in Sweden and one of Northern Europe's oldest universities. The university is located in the city of Lund in the Swedish province of Scania. The university was officially foun ...
in Sweden before receiving a BA degree in History of Art/Archaeology of Africa and Asia at
SOAS, University of London The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public university, public research university in London, England, and a constituent college, member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, ...
in 2005, and subsequently an MA in African Archaeology in 2006 and
PhD A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, DPhil; or ) is a terminal degree that usually denotes the highest level of academic achievement in a given discipline and is awarded following a course of graduate study and original research. The name of the deg ...
degree in Archaeology in 2009 at
University College London University College London (Trade name, branded as UCL) is a Public university, public research university in London, England. It is a Member institutions of the University of London, member institution of the Federal university, federal Uni ...
.


Career

She has conducted field research in
Somaliland Somaliland, officially the Republic of Somaliland, is an List of states with limited recognition, unrecognised country in the Horn of Africa. It is located in the southern coast of the Gulf of Aden and bordered by Djibouti to the northwest, E ...
, the
United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
,
Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
, Sweden, Ethiopia,
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
, Djibouti and
Egypt Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
, and has worked for the
United Nations Development Program The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a United Nations agency tasked with helping countries Poverty reduction, eliminate poverty and achieve Sustainable development, sustainable economic growth and Human development (economics), hu ...
. A TED-speaker, she has participated on the editorial boards, including ''
African Archaeological Review The ''African Archaeological Review'' is a peer-reviewed journal focusing on current African archaeology. Contents included in the journal range from the evolution of modern humans, advancements of human culture, and basic African contributions t ...
''. Motivated to learn the history of Somaliland, her homeland which was once a colonial country in Africa, she took up a fellowship under the department of art and archaeology at the
School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...
in London (also head of the department of antiquities in Somaliland). She launched an ambitious programme of archeological explorations in 2007. Until 2019 Mire held the role of assistant professor at the faculty of archaeology,
Leiden University Leiden University (abbreviated as ''LEI''; ) is a Public university, public research university in Leiden, Netherlands. Established in 1575 by William the Silent, William, Prince of Orange as a Protestantism, Protestant institution, it holds the d ...
. She is currently associate professor in Heritage Studies at University College London. Mire, leading a team of 50 helpers, has discovered
prehistoric Prehistory, also called pre-literary history, is the period of human history between the first known use of stone tools by hominins  million years ago and the beginning of recorded history with the invention of writing systems. The use o ...
rock art In archaeology, rock arts are human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type al ...
in Somaliland at almost 100 sites; at least 10 of these are likely to receive
World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an treaty, international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural ...
status. The Dhambalin site, which is located approximately from the
Red Sea The Red Sea is a sea inlet of the Indian Ocean, lying between Africa and Asia. Its connection to the ocean is in the south, through the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and the Gulf of Aden. To its north lie the Sinai Peninsula, the Gulf of Aqaba, and th ...
, contains rock art in sandstone shelters, which are inferred as about 5,000 years old, of horned cattle, sheep, and goats, as well as giraffes, which no longer exist in Somaliland. The
NGO A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an independent, typically nonprofit organization that operates outside government control, though it may get a significant percentage of its funding from government or corporate sources. NGOs often focus ...
, Horn Heritage, partially funds her work for Somali Heritage.


Education work

In order to educate her people on the cultural heritage of their country, to continue with the archaeological explorations and get
UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...
World Heritage Sites World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty administered by UNESCO for having cultural, historical, or scientific significance. The sites are judged to contain "cultural and natural heritag ...
status for some of the rock art sites she has discovered, Mire has established the "Horn Heritage", a non-profit organization to fund her work. She was also involved in establishing Somalia’s Department of Tourism and Archaeology. Through her charity Horn Heritage and with partners, Mire initiated and implemented digital 3D and virtual reality (VR) projects for Somali heritage, so that anybody anywhere could access her rock art work. In 2006, Mire created the first website dedicated to Somali Heritage and Archeology. Mire has run national and international media campaigns to fight the looting and destruction of Somali archeological sites. One of her direct messages to the Somali public warning against looting was broadcast by BBC Somali. Mire's designed a MOOC (Massive online open course) on '''Heritage under Threat','' (2016 - 2020). This video based course introduced learners to the topic of heritage under threat. The course was written and presented by Mire.


Theoretical contribution to heritage and archaeology

In her 2011 ''NewScientist'' interview article titled 'We need culture in times of war', Mire argued "Cultural heritage, including archeological knowledge, is a basic human need". Her work bridges archaeology and anthropology of the Horn of Africa in investigating the pre-Islamic and pre-Christian indigenous religions and traditions of the Horn of Africa. Mire discussed the misuse of archaeology for politics and intentional destruction of heritage sites by ideological groups for example India. For her geographical area of fieldwork, she has argued that archaeologists need to move away from the nation as this is a new construct and study the continuity of influence across different indigenous peoples in the horn of Africa, proposing regional perspective on the archaeology of the Horn of Africa. Mire is considered to have pioneered the study of indigenous heritage management systems in Africa with her article "Preserving knowledge, not objects: a Somali perspective for Archaeological Research and Heritage Management" (African Archaeological Review, 2007). She addressed the looting and destruction of Somalia's heritage after the start of the Somali civil war. She advanced a theoretical approach she terms "the Knowledge-Centered Approach" arguing that objects and monuments are not necessarily important but knowledge, skill and memory as practiced and symbolized in the landscapes. Her approaches have been discussed by other scholars in the application of locally appropriate theoretical frameworks.


Other activities

In 2011, Mire proposed to UNESCO the digital preservation of Somali potential World Heritage. She's a speaker of the first UNESCO Debate organized by UNESCO Netherlands at the RMO, September 2016. Mire spoke along Dutch philosopher Stephan Sanders. Mire has spoken on several BBC Radio programs including BBC World Service Forum panel on the Aftermath of war and marriage. She was a speaker at the Europe Lecture and an "eminent" respondent to UNESCO Director General Irina Bokova, June 2016. In September 2018, Mire participated to Hague Talks "How can we Invest in Sustainable Peace?" Mire was a speaker at the Swedish National Heritage Board and on BBC World Service radio documentary "Stories on the Rocks", December 2018.


Awards and honors

In April 2017, Mire was selected for the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts' 30 international thinkers and writers. In 2016, Mire was included a list of 12 pioneer women archaeologists who have contributed to the enrichment of the discipline throughout history. Mire is on the boards of several notable institutions, including the Prince Claus Foundation.


Filmography

CNN made a feature documentary on the story of Mire and her twin sister Sohur. The CNN African Voices Program featured the sisters in their professional environment, as an archeologist and a medical doctor giving back to their community and working in their homeland, Somalia. The documentary discusses how they fled the Somali civil war and started new lives in Sweden as child refugees. For National Geographic's ''Don't Tell my Mother'' I'm in Somalia episode, presenter Diego Buñuel met up with Mire in her office in Hargeisa and with her visited some of the landmarks of Somaliland. Brazil's Futura (TV Channel) aired in 2014 a documentary titled ''Sada and Somaliland'', following her progress as the country's only Somali archeologist. Mire was one of the experts featuring in the 2017 PBS series Africa's Great Civilizations, presented by Professor Henry Louis Gates Jr. Mire is the presenter and screenwriter of the MOOC titled ''Heritage under Threat''.


Selected publications


Articles

* "Somali Shield, Gaashaan". ''Hazina''. 2006. * "The Transition to Farming in Eastern Africa: New Faunal and Dating Evidence from Wadh Lang’o and Usenge, Kenya". ''Antiquity''. 2007. * "Preserving Knowledge, not Objects: A Somali Perspective for Heritage Management and Archaeological Research". ''African Archaeological Review''. 2007. * "The Discovery of Dhambalin Rock Art Site, Somaliland". ''African Archaeological Review''. 2008. * "The Knowledge-Centred Approach to the Somali Cultural Emergency and heritage development assistance in Somaliland". ''African Archaeological Review''. 2011. * "Beautiful Somali buildings are rising up in a former war zone. It gives me hope". ''The Guardian''. 2015. * "Wagar, Fertility and Phallic Stelae: Cushitic Sky-God Belief and the Site of Saint Aw-Barkhadle in Somaliland". ''African Archaeological Review''. 2015. * "Mapping the Archaeology of Somaliland: Religion, Art, Script, Time, Urbanism, Trade and Empire". ''African Archaeological Review''. 2015. * "Tourism of Somalia. 2015". * "‘The child that tiire doesn't give you, God won't give you either.’ The role of Rotheca myricoides in Somali fertility practices". In: ''Anthropology & Medicine'', 2016, 23: 3, p. 311-331. * "The Role of Cultural Heritage in the Basic Needs of East African Pastoralists". ''African Study Monographs'' 53(Supplementary Issue): 147-157. * "Black history has much to reveal about our ancestors – and ourselves". ''The Guardian''. 2018.


References


External links

*
Europe lecture on cultural heritage

Reflections by Sada Mire
* Mire TEDxEusto
Cultural heritage: a basic human need - Sada Mire at TEDxEuston
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mire, Sada Somalian archaeologists Living people 1977 births People from Hargeisa Lund University alumni Alumni of the UCL Institute of Archaeology Academic staff of Leiden University Somalian women archaeologists