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Richard Bigambo

Richard Nandiga Bigambo

Senior Lecturer

College of Humanities

Archaeology and Heritage Studies

Biography

Dr Richard Nandiga Bigambo is a Tanzanian archaeologist and specialist in heritage management with extensive experience in his field. He is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Archaeology and Heritage Studies at the University of Dar es Salaam. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Archaeology in 2011 and followed it up with a Master of Arts in Archaeology in 2013, both from the University of Dar es Salaam. He further advanced his academic credentials by obtaining a PhD in Cultural Heritage from the University of Birmingham in 2020, where his research contributed to a deeper understanding of heritage processes. His academic interests are centred around the critical inquiry of why specific elements of our human environment are designated as ‘Heritage’ and the complex mechanisms employed to promote and ensure their survival. 

Research Interest

  1. Analysis of policies, strategies, and practices for managing both tangible and intangible heritage.
  2. Community-based methods for protecting cultural heritage
  3. The significance of cultural expressions, like traditional songs and ceremonies, in shaping and sustaining community identity
  4. Advocacy for participatory approaches that actively involve local communities in safeguarding and managing their cultural heritage.
  5. Investigating cultural heritage as a route to sustainable development

Contacts

Email:

Projects

  1. An Assessment of the post-analysis conservation practice for faunal materials in Tanzania: The Case of Univ. of Dar es Salaam, Antiquities Dept. and National Museum and House of Culture (2016). Funded by The Paleontological Scientific Trust (PAST).
  2. Singing for the future? Exploring traditional songs as a community-based approach to safeguarding traditional wedding ceremonies. Funded by African Humanities Postdoctoral Fellowship 2022/2023.
  3. Conservation and Management of Saadani Village, Tanzania (2024). Funded by Gerda Henkel 

Publications

  1. Said, M. & Bigambo, R., 2013. Archaeological Reconnaissance of Saadani Village and its Adjacent Areas. Studies in the African Past, Volume 12, pp. 32-40. https://journals.udsm.ac.tz/index.php/sap/article/view/89
  2. Bigambo, R., 2021 Challenge and Solutions in the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage in Tanzania, South African Archaeological Bulletin, Volume 76 (215), pp. 135-139. https://www.jstor.org/stable/27108976
  3. Bigambo, R., 2022. Safeguarding Intangible Heritage among the Wajita in Northern Tanzania, UTAFITI, Volume17, pp.155-171. https://doi.org/10.1163/26836408-15020062
  4. Bigambo, R. “Archaeological Heritage Management in Tanzania.” In Oxford Research Encyclopaedia of Anthropology. Oxford University Press, 2018—. Article published April 19, 2023. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190854584.013.560
  5. Bigambo, R and S. Mwitondi (2024). Cultural Heritage Resources in Shambles? An Approach Towards a Proper Conservation and Management of Saadani Village, Tanzania. Journal of African Cultural Heritage Studies, 3(1), 234- 255. https://doi.org/10.22599/jachs.138
  6. Bigambo, R. (2024), "Residents’ perception of the meaning and importance of conserving cultural heritage assets in Saadani village, Tanzania", Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/JCHMSD-11-2022-0196