Cultural Heritage Destruction in Eritrea: a case study of Qohaito and Matara Archaeological sites

Eritrea is a land of great reputation as a treasure house of rich and deserve cultural resources. However, in Eritrea, like in any other African countries protection and conservation of cultural heritage has not been afforded the deserving consideration. Colonial powers who successively occupied Eritrea were more preoccupied with the economic and political gains and did not pay much attention to the socio-cultural aspects of the Eritrean people. Surprisingly, not much has been done either, to address this issue in the last two decades after the independence of the country. The objective of this thesis was to investigate the gravity and seriousness of destruction that affected the archaeological sites of the ancient cities of Qohaito and Matara. To examine this situation, qualitative method was employed and data were collected through a combination of on-land survey, in -depth interviews, focus group discussions, ethnographic accounts, observations and documentary analysis. Finding clearly revealed that a major part of the cultural heritage is at risk. The ruins of the ancient cities of Qohaito and Matara are heavily stressed from the threats of various factors. Existing community settlements have advanced deep into the archaeological ruins, and this situation has basically disturbed the structures and adversely influenced the sites. In the recent times, the heritage sites have been encroached by large scale housing construction and development activities in terms of roads, schools, mosques and shops. Vandalism is rife rich rock art sites and a number of ancient burials have been destroyed and looted. Moreover, water development activities like digging drilling and supply distributions have severely affected cultural resources. To introduce remedial solution, the thesis recommends that professional and decisive interventions to ensure that heritage resources in all their forms are preserved, enhanced and handed over to future generations as a record of human experience and aspirations. Government departments are supposed to be stewards of the cultural heritage, which they manage on behalf of the people. Furthermore, policies for the conservation of cultural heritage should constitute an integral component of policies relating to land use, development, and planning as well as cultural, environmental and educational policies. The protection of the cultural heritage should be integrated into planning policies at international, regional, national, and local levels. Local commitments and participation should be actively sought, and encouraged as a means of promoting the maintenance of the heritage resources. Most importantly, the thesis indicates that the concept of heritage management plan must be envisaged as a strategy by which site will be identified, their significance assessed and interpretations constructed to guide their conservation and presentation in a manner that is consistent with their availability for public appreciation and enjoyment.