Anthropologist Profile: Dr. Emma Nguvi Mbua, Paleoanthropologist

 

Dr. Emma Mbua (right) showing A. afarensis specimen to a Japanese Prince (Source: Getty Images)

The fields of science, math, and technology have historically been dominated by men for generations.  In the last few decades there has been a push to encourage women to enter these fields, and this has been largely been successful in various Western nations.  In areas of the world, such as African nations, this push has been less successful, but through the hard work and concerted efforts of various scholars, such as Dr. Emma Nguvi Mbua, the tides are changing.

 

Dr. Dr. Emma Nguvi Mbua is world renowned paleoanthropologist, paleontologist, and primatologist who earned her degrees in Evolutionary Anthropology from the University of Liverpool (England) and University of Hamburg (Germany).  She is also a scholar who has a list of notable accomplishments under her belt.  These include having served as the Head and Principal Research Scientist in the Department of Earth Sciences at the University of Nairobi (Kenya), as well as a leader of the National Museum of Kenya’s Paleoanthropology Section.  It is important to note that she was the first woman to serve in this position at the National Museum, and she was also the first female paleoanthropologist in Kenya. 

 

In addition, Dr. Mbua made various ground breaking discoveries at the Kantis Palaeontological Project, a paleoanthropological site she previously worked at.  These discoveries included locating fossilized remains from 29 extinct species, as well as fossilized teeth and portions of the forearm of Australopithecus afarensis.  This latter discovery was the first evidence to A. afarensis’s expansion into the area!  Her research endeavors were funded through various organizations, including the Leakey Foundation, Wenner-Gren Foundation, National Geographic Society, and the Paleontological Scientific Trust.

 

Dr. Mbua is also a highly decorated scholar.  She was the first African woman to receive the Mary Leakey Award for Research and Study of Human Origins, which was awarded to her in 1998.  She has earned several awards and recognitions throughout Kenya for her scholarship and public outreach.  She is considered an inspiration to all Kenyans given her dedication to making paleoanthropological research accessible to the public, and she is credited as inspiring young African girls and women to pursue scientific study, research, and work. 

 

Although she is now retired she continues her tireless efforts and does not appear to be ready to slow down at any point.  She is a shining star that refuses to burn out, and hopefully her shine will burn bright to pave the way for future generations to come.

 

References

Clarke, S. (2020, November 13). Emma Mbua . Retrieved from Trowelblazers: https://trowelblazers.com/2020/11/13/emma-mbua/

Day, M. (2024). Dr. Emma Nguvi Mbua. Retrieved from Kenyan Heroes: https://kenyanheroes.com/honorable-mention/emma-nguvi-mbua/

Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board. (2022, May 5). Emma Mbua. Retrieved from Kenya Yearbook Editorial Board: https://sectors.kenyayearbook.go.ke/2022/05/05/emma-mbua/

Mbua, E. (n.d.). A Message from the Head of the Earth Sciences Department. Retrieved from Prehistory Club of Kenya: https://www.prehistoryclubkenya.org/DRMBUA.HTML

 

 

Redeeming the Past: The Story of the Swahili

 

The Gedi Ruins, one of several examples of an ancestral Swahili settlement (Source: MalindiKenya.net)

Swahili is a language spoken across East Africa.  Contemporary Swahili speakers trace descent to the Swahili people, who lived in different cultural contexts than how their descendants do today. The histories of these ancestral populations, however, are narrated by non-Swahili people, which is problematic as this often can and does lead to inaccurate historical narratives about the past.  This is the case in interpreting the Swahili past, wherein either a strictly African or non-African model is emphasized.  While one (the African model) seemingly promotes the Swahili people and the other (the non-African model) does not it is important to share an accurate interpretation of the past rather than one that encourages a specific group’s contemporary sociopolitical goals.

 

Modern archaeological research sought to resolve this matter by using an ethnoarchaeological approach, meaning one that involved descendent populations.  They were consulted throughout the archaeological process by a couple of means.  First, they interviewed about their own interpretations and beliefs concerning their histories, and second they were present and aided in the interpretation of archaeological artifacts.  Systematic survey and excavation methods were also employed to ensure the collection of artifacts and contextual information of the past were preserved.  The artifact assemblages demonstrated a rich trade history wherein locally made goods were used alongside those imported from the Asian continent, demonstrating at a minimum contact and trade among geographically distant groups.

 

As additional means of researching the past were made available scholars employed these new methods, which took shape as ancient DNA analyses.  These methods were employed in hopes of repairing the potentially false narratives of the past, particularly those concerning the ancestral Swahili.  The goal was to see if the DNA results matched archaeological interpretations and contemporary oral histories shared by Swahili descendent populations. Ultimately, these data do not support the accepted histories of the descent populations or contemporary scholars, but they are still important in demystifying the past.

 

A diverse group of scholars, in accordance with the wishes of the descendent Swahili populations, undertook excavations of Swahili ancestors and collected samples for DNA analysis.  DNA was collected, but it was the DNA from 80 elite (ruling class) individuals that was ultimately analyzed.  The results were unexpected.  Instead of demonstrating either a largely African or Asian elite the ancient DNA showed that African elites were mixing/interbreeding with Asian populations around 1000 years ago.  Asian populations included Persians (i.e., Middle Easterners) and Indians (i.e., individuals from the Indian subcontinent), which were both groups that widely traded with the local Swahili populations.  The DNA results also demonstrated that it was Asian males who interbred with local African women.  This evidence supports the Kilwa Chronicle, a historical source that many scholars and the Swahili descendent populations had previously rejected (again, because it did not support a purely African or Asian narrative).

 

These unexpected results required further review since they did not match the dominant and accepted historical narratives about the Swahili past.  Scholars turned to the cultural traditions of the Swahili and related populations to find their answers.  It is known that they were matriarchal, meaning wealth and status was passed down from mother to daughter to granddaughter and so on.  It is hypothesized that Asian men married into elite families and adopted African/Swahili culture in order to secure more power within the African-Asian trade networks. 

 

Ultimately, the notions that have been promoted over time of a strictly African or Asian Swahili population are no longer supportable, but that is not necessarily a bad thing.  As two scholars, Chapurukha Kusimba and David Reich, involved in the ancient DNA project pointed out:  “Objective knowledge about the past has great potential to help marginalized peoples. By making it possible to challenge and overturn narratives imposed from the outside for political or economic ends, scientific research provides a meaningful and underappreciated tool for righting colonial wrongs.”

 

Bibliography

Brielle, E. S., Fleisher, J., Wynne-Jones, S., Sirak, K., Broomandkhoshbacht, N., Callan, K., ... & Kusimba, C. M. (2023). Entwined African and Asian genetic roots of medieval peoples of the Swahili coast. Nature, 615(7954), 866-873.

 

 

Kusimba, C., & Reich, D. (2023, May 30). Ancient DNA Supports Swahili Oral Traditions. Retrieved from Sapiens: https://www.sapiens.org/biology/ancient-dna-swahili-origins/