The second phase of ARCC palaeo fieldwork was done at the Serengeti National Park in November 2018 and was led by Colin Courtney-Mustaphi. Other ARCC researchers who joined the fieldwork were Rob Marchant, Linus Munishi and Rebecca Kariuki. Together with the driver, Alex Moshi, ARCC researchers travelled from Arusha to Serengeti on 17th Nov 2018 and were in Serengeti for a week.
In Serengeti, they took sediment cores from Lake Magadi, River Bologonja and from a Kopje at Ngong rock. The sediments were sliced, packed in small plastic bags and taken to the University of York where they will be analysed further to establish past human-environmental interactions in northern Tanzania.
While in the park, the team also visited the mysterious Maasai rock paintings at the Moru Kopjes, River Loiyangalani, which has rich historical heritage, and took leaf area index (LAI) pictures at different locations in the park using a hemispherical camera lens. The LAI pictures will be used to estimate the canopy cover of the area.
Maasai rock paintings in Serengeti National Park. Photo – Colin Courtney-Mustaphi.
ARCC team collecting sediments from a wetland in Serengeti National Park. Photo – Rebecca Kariuki.