Sada Mire facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sada Mire
Born	1976 (age 48–49) Hargeisa, Somali Democratic Republic (now Somaliland)
Education	Lund University SOAS, University of London (BA) University College London (MA, PhD)
Employer	University College London
Organization	Horn Heritage Organization
Awards	2011 Sweden Supertalent Awards

Sada Mire (born July 1976) is a Swedish-Somali archaeologist and art historian. She is also a presenter and a professor at University College London. Sada believes that learning about our cultural heritage is a basic human need. In 2007, she became the Director of Antiquities for Somaliland. When she was 15, Sada had to leave her home in Mogadishu, Somalia, because of the civil war. She found safety in Sweden and later returned to Africa to work as an archaeologist.

Early Life and Education Journey

Sada Mire was born in Hargeisa, Somaliland, in 1977. Her family later moved to Mogadishu. When she was 12, her father, a police official, passed away. In 1991, during the Somali Civil War, Sada, her mother, and her siblings had to flee Somalia. They traveled in a relative's truck to escape the conflict.

Sada and her twin sister, Sohur, went to Sweden where an older sister lived. They were given asylum there. Later, both sisters moved to the United Kingdom to continue their studies. Sada studied ancient history and animal archaeology at Lund University in Sweden. She then earned a degree in Art History and Archaeology of Africa and Asia from SOAS, University of London in 2005. She continued her studies at University College London, getting a master's degree in African Archaeology in 2006 and a PhD in Archaeology in 2009.

Exploring Ancient History: Sada's Archaeology Career

Sada Mire has explored many places to learn about the past. She has done field research in Somaliland, the United Kingdom, Denmark, Sweden, Ethiopia, Kenya, Djibouti, and Egypt. She also worked for the United Nations Development Program. Sada is a TED speaker and has been part of important archaeological publications.

She was very keen to learn about the history of Somaliland, her home country. This led her to take up a special role at the School of Oriental and African Studies in London. She also became the head of the antiquities department in Somaliland. In 2007, she started an exciting program to explore ancient sites.

Until 2019, Sada was an assistant professor at Leiden University. Today, she is an associate professor in Heritage Studies at University College London.

Discovering Ancient Rock Art in Somaliland

Sada Mire has led a team of 50 helpers to find amazing prehistoric rock art in Somaliland. They have found almost 100 sites with ancient drawings! At least 10 of these sites are so important that they might become World Heritage sites.

One special place is the Dhambalin site. It's about 40 miles from the Red Sea. Here, in sandstone shelters, there are rock paintings that are about 5,000 years old. These drawings show animals like horned cattle, sheep, and goats. They also show giraffes, which no longer live in Somaliland today. A non-profit group called Horn Heritage helps fund Sada's important work.

Teaching and Protecting Heritage

Sada Mire wants to teach people about their country's cultural heritage. To do this, and to continue her archaeological work, she started "Horn Heritage." This non-profit organization helps fund her projects. She also helped create Somalia’s Department of Tourism and Archaeology.

Through her charity, Horn Heritage, Sada has created digital 3D and virtual reality (VR) projects. This means anyone, anywhere, can explore her rock art discoveries. In 2006, she made the very first website dedicated to Somali Heritage and Archaeology.

Sada has also run campaigns in the news to stop the stealing and destruction of ancient sites in Somalia. She even sent a message to the Somali public on BBC Somali, warning them about looting.

From 2016 to 2020, Sada designed an online course called Heritage under Threat. This video course taught people about cultural heritage that is in danger. Sada wrote and presented the course herself.

Understanding Culture and History

In a 2011 interview, Sada Mire said, "Cultural heritage, including archaeological knowledge, is a basic human need." She believes that understanding our past is as important as other basic needs. Her work connects archaeology and anthropology in the Horn of Africa. She studies ancient religions and traditions from before Islam and Christianity.

Sada has also talked about how archaeology can sometimes be used for political reasons. She has also discussed how some groups intentionally destroy heritage sites. For her work in the Horn of Africa, she believes archaeologists should look at how different groups influenced each other over time, rather than just focusing on modern country borders.

Sada is known for being a leader in studying how local people manage their own heritage in Africa. In her 2007 article, "Preserving knowledge, not objects," she talked about the looting and destruction of Somalia's heritage after the civil war. She suggested an idea called "the Knowledge-Centered Approach." This idea says that objects and monuments are not always the most important things. Instead, the knowledge, skills, and memories connected to them are what truly matter. Other experts have discussed her ideas about using local ways to understand heritage.

Other Activities and Public Speaking

In 2011, Sada Mire suggested to UNESCO that they should digitally save potential World Heritage sites in Somalia. She has spoken at many important events, including a UNESCO Debate in 2016. She has also been a guest on several BBC Radio programs.

In June 2016, she was a speaker at the Europe Lecture. In September 2018, Sada took part in Hague Talks, discussing how to invest in lasting peace. She also spoke at the Swedish National Heritage Board and on a BBC World Service radio show in December 2018.

Awards and Recognition

Sada Mire has received several honors for her work. In April 2017, she was chosen by the Hay Festival of Literature and the Arts as one of 30 important international thinkers and writers. In 2016, she was named one of 12 pioneering women archaeologists who have greatly helped the field of archaeology. Sada also serves on the boards of several important organizations, including the Prince Claus Foundation.

Films About Sada Mire

Several documentaries have been made about Sada Mire's life and work.

• CNN made a film about Sada and her twin sister, Sohur. It showed them working as an archaeologist and a medical doctor, helping their home country, Somalia. The film talked about how they fled the civil war and started new lives in Sweden as child refugees.
• For National Geographic's Don't Tell my Mother I'm in Somalia episode, presenter Diego Buñuel met Sada in Hargeisa. They visited some famous places in Somaliland together.
• Brazil's Futura (TV Channel) aired a documentary in 2014 called Sada and Somaliland. It followed her journey as the only Somali archaeologist in the country.
• Sada was also an expert featured in the 2017 PBS series Africa's Great Civilizations.
• She is the presenter and writer of the online course Heritage under Threat.

Selected Writings

Sada Mire has written many articles about her archaeological discoveries and ideas. Some of her works include:

• "Somali Shield, Gaashaan". Hazina. 2006.
• "Preserving Knowledge, not Objects: A Somali Perspective for Heritage Management and Archaeological Research". African Archaeological Review. 2007.
• "The Discovery of Dhambalin Rock Art Site, Somaliland". African Archaeological Review. 2008.
• "Beautiful Somali buildings are rising up in a former war zone. It gives me hope". The Guardian. 2015.
• "Mapping the Archaeology of Somaliland: Religion, Art, Script, Time, Urbanism, Trade and Empire". African Archaeological Review. 2015.
• "Black history has much to reveal about our ancestors – and ourselves". The Guardian. 2018.