Tuesday, November 19, 2024 at 10:09 p.m.
Rabat – The Minister of Youth, Culture and Communication, Mohamed Mehdi Bensaid chaired, Tuesday in Rabat, alongside the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany, Robert Dölger, the opening of an exhibition traveling entitled “Planet Africa – An archaeological journey through time”.
This exhibition, organized by the National Institute of Archeology and Heritage Sciences and the Commission for Archeology and Extra-European Cultures of the German Archaeological Institute (DAI), aims to highlight the main results of the archaeological research carried out over the last four decades by joint African and German scientific missions, which reveals the richness of African archaeological heritage.
In a speech on this occasion, Mr. Bensaid indicated that this exhibition, which is being held until November 27 at the National Library of the Kingdom of Morocco, “is the fruit of a fruitful collaboration between Morocco and Germany, which marks a step in our common desire to highlight the rich cultural and archaeological heritage of the African continent.
“Planet Africa invites us on a fascinating journey through the millennia to discover the roots of our African civilization,” underlined the minister, adding that “thanks to the research work carried out by renowned scientific teams, we can today admire the diversity of African cultures, the ingenuity of our ancestors and their ability to adapt to their environment.
Expressing his pride that Morocco was chosen as the first host country for this traveling exhibition, he stressed that this choice testifies to the leading role that the Kingdom plays, under the enlightened leadership of His Majesty King Mohammed VI, in safeguarding of African cultural heritage, as well as in the dissemination of knowledge relating to archaeological research.
The German ambassador to Morocco, for his part, noted that the exhibition “Planet Africa – An archaeological journey through time” constitutes an obvious manifestation of the strong and diversified cooperation between the two countries, adding that this event illustrates the important work of German, Moroccan and African researchers in the field of archaeology.
This exhibition, which includes elements of the heritage of Morocco, one of the most important archaeological sites on the continent, aims to make accessible to the public, and particularly to young people, archaeological discoveries in the African continent, the cradle of humanity.
For his part, the researcher in the field of archaeology, Jorg Linstadter, affirmed, in a speech on behalf of the German Archaeological Institute, that the exhibition, which presents photos, written texts as well as audio extracts -visual, aims to bring visitors closer to the rich archaeological heritage of the continent, by presenting the results of archaeological research carried out over a long period of time.
He also noted that it is a journey taking the visitor through the history of Africa, in order to examine the developments and innovations made, throughout history, by the African man in order to adapt to his environment.
The exhibition includes six major themes offering a journey to the heart of the continent’s most important archaeological discoveries, namely “Natural wealth through diversity”, “The first decisive steps of humanity”, “Know-how: mastery techniques and knowledge”, “Signs and images: the visualization of knowledge through art”, “Resources: exchanges, commerce and power through the ages” and “New perspectives: African archeology today”.
According to the organizers, these themes offer an exploration of significant archaeological discoveries, making it possible to trace the adaptations of African populations to environmental and social challenges over the centuries, highlighting their resilience and ingenuity and illustrating their capacity to evolve and to adapt to environmental fluctuations, while preserving invaluable cultural wealth.
Alongside the exhibition, a rich program was designed, including a scientific conference bringing together Moroccan and German researchers, to deepen reflection on the dynamics of archaeological research in Africa, in addition to the organization of a scientific excursion to the archaeological sites of Rabat and Témara.
After its visit to Rabat, the exhibition will continue its tour to several other African countries, including Mozambique, Sudan, Nigeria, Kenya and Ghana.
