Events from May 14 – May 29 – British Institute for Libyan & Northern African Studies https://www.bilnas.org Promoting the archaeology, history and environment of Libya and northern Africa Tue, 05 May 2026 15:46:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.8 https://www.bilnas.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/BILNAS–favicon.jpg Events from May 14 – May 29 – British Institute for Libyan & Northern African Studies https://www.bilnas.org 32 32 Volcanic Ash Layers (Tephra) to Link Archaeological and Climate Records in North West Africa by Dr Danielle McLean https://www.bilnas.org/event/volcanic-ash-layers-tephra-to-link-archaeological-and-climate-records-in-north-west-africa-by-dr-danielle-mclean/ Thu, 14 May 2026 17:00:00 +0000 https://www.bilnas.org/?post_type=tribe_events&p=13114 Archaeological sites in NW Africa are rich in human fossils and artefacts, emerging at the forefront of evolutionary studies. However, these records are difficult to underpin by a detailed chronology, preventing assessments of the timing/causes of cultural/behavioural transitions.

Investigations reveal numerous volcanic ash layers (commonly known as tephra) are interbedded within the Palaeolithic sequences, and are likely to have originated from large volcanic eruption in the Atlantic (e.g., the Azores and Canary Islands). Critically these widespread ash layers are also preserved in offshore marine records, meaning the ash can be used as chronological markers to compare the archaeological and climate sequences.

This presentation outlines the project investigations undertaken to establish the eruptive history of the source volcanoes in the North Atlantic and the detailed work undertaken to capitalise on the use of widespread tephra layers.

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About the Speaker

Dr Danielle McLean is a postdoctoral researcher in the Oxford Tephrochronology Research Group at the School of Archaeology. In 2021 she received a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship to assess the opportunities of using widespread volcanic ash layers to link archaeological and climate records in Northwest Africa. This fellowship ran in conjunction with the Leverhulme-funded CAVES Africa Project which examines the potential impact of climate change on early modern humans over the last 300,000 years. This work was also supported by BILNAS which funded fieldwork and publication opportunities for several of the CAVES group members.

]]> The Wisdom of the Hand – Amazigh Textile Tradition in Libya and Tunisia https://www.bilnas.org/event/the-wisdom-of-the-hand-amazigh-textile-tradition-in-libya-and-tunisia/ Fri, 29 May 2026 18:00:00 +0000 https://www.bilnas.org/?post_type=tribe_events&p=13124

THE BILNAS SUMMER LECTURE: The Wisdom of the Hand – Amazigh Textile Tradition in Libya and Tunisia

A fascinating journey into the traditions of Amazigh textile production followed by a conversation over drinks with the experts.

This special BILNAS event offers the opportunity to learn about Amazigh textile traditions and how this is relevant to the modern world, as a prelude to a series of workshops and an exhibition. Presented by Najlaa El Ageli, textile specialist Dr Anita Radini will speak on “Shared past, shared future: rethinking the roots of textile production for a healthier world”. The talk will be followed by a conversation including Barbara Spadaro discussing textile memories as spaces for unlearning imperialism.

The event will be followed by a drinks reception 🍷

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