Between Past and Present: What Actually Happened at ASAPA 2026

Five days, seventeen countries, one amazing conference

University of Mpumalanga at sunset. Credit: University of Mpumalanga.

Mpumalanga, the place of the rising sun, was renamed in 1993, but its history is far older and richer than a few 33 years. It is the former homeland of the KaNgwane, parts of the Lebowa and Gazankulu, it hides ancient San rock art, natural wonders like the Sudwala Caves and hosts part of the world-famous Kruger National Park.

And while not many people may have known, this vibrant province with millennia of history was also host to the ASAPA 2026 conference in July. It was attended by people the world over, from Ghana, Tanzania and Ethiopia to Italy, Germany and Spain, and further still, people came from Canada and the United States; hundreds of delegates arrived as the sun rose in South Africa.

Surrounded by rich archaeology and living heritage, this year's ASAPA theme was rather apt, I would say: Between past and present: African archaeology and its relevance today.

Where the Sun Rises

The conference begins. Credit: Hancu Louw.

The Association of Southern African Professional Archaeologists held its 2026 biennial conference at the University of Mpumalanga from 5 to 9 July. The host institution was the embodiment of the theme, a young institution, sitting amidst a landscape riddled with archaeology, a perfect symbol of the past and the present coming together. Though this perfect match made in heaven may have been a happy coincidence.

“We wanted to create a theme that bridges the past and present and considers the role that archaeology can play,” said Tim Forssman, Associate Professor at UMP and Chair of the Local Organising Committee. “Mpumalanga fitted well within the theme that we opted for.”

The theme was an invitation to consider the relevance of archaeology in today’s world.

African history includes triumph and innovation, but also displacement, injustice and a great deal of deliberate distortion. The theme’s framing invited participants to treat archaeology not merely as a scientific discipline that looks for the past and stops once found, but to reckon with what those recoveries mean today, to the policies we set, the identities we form, and who gets to narrate what.

Mid-Day Sun

Session at ASAPA 2026: Credit: Hancu Louw.

The conference began with the song ‘Sanibonani’, a cheerful start, sung enthusiastically by the University of Mpumalanga's choir.

From the get-go, the theme was evident in every speech. Prof. Lyn Wadley unravelled the minds of people long gone, while Prof. Peter Delius built a bridge between history and archaeology, and Prof. Marlize Lombard unpicked the dense web of cognitive steps behind bow-and-arrow hunting. Tim Forssman reported that the keynote speaker really drove the theme home. Shadreck Chirikure, Edward Hall Professor of Archaeological Science at Oxford and Editor-in-Chief of Archaeometry, central point in Forssman’s words, was “the importance of making archaeology relevant in the present, or it risks being left behind.”

A point many people outside archaeology often forget: why should they care about some old stones, some faded paintings, or a skeleton without a name, home, or identity? Well, maybe because archaeology is part of our shared heritage, and in forgetting it, we forget a part of ourselves. For without these bits and pieces, we would not be what we are today, and we could not become what we will be tomorrow.

The theme kept showing up in one talk after another, from education to integrating modern molecular methods to better understand the past. As one attendee put it: ‘One [session] that stood out was Tim Forssman's “How Generative AI Can Connect Students with Archaeological Knowledge.” As someone with a strong interest in heritage interpretation and public engagement, I found this presentation particularly relevant. It demonstrated how generative AI can enhance archaeological education, improve access to archaeological knowledge, and create new opportunities to engage diverse audiences, while encouraging critical reflection on the responsible use of AI within the discipline.’

Another attendee was pleased to show through their own research “how rock art is presented, interpreted and made meaningful in contemporary heritage spaces.”

As the Sun Set

Gala dinner, ASAPA 2026. Credit: Hancu Louw.

And the conference is not just valuable for experienced researchers, but also for students. Many students enjoyed the networking opportunity, gaining connections with past researchers that would benefit them in their present-day work. One student said the most valuable thing they learnt was:

‘The importance of networking. I have met a lot of amazing people.’

 While another was rather poetic, saying they learnt:

‘We are all human and our research, job titles do not define us.’

According to Forssman, ‘Academics are really just regular folks and most would love to help out where they can — there is no need to be afraid or intimidated by them when presenting. Use this chance to chat to people, ask for advice and help, and get to know your peers and seniors.’

This brings us to SAASS, the Southern African Archaeology Student Society. After all, this is a SAASS blog. SAASS began at ASAPA 2013. In the crowd of attendees was a group of students listening to the speakers honouring the retiring Tim Maggs and Tom Huffman.

It was then that they noticed something: that one’s legacy does not begin when one's career ends, and it made them ask themselves what they would leave behind one day.

That question became a workshop and eventually a society where students could grow together. And it has been a constant in ASAPA ever since.

A perfect merger between past and present, indeed.

If you were at ASAPA 2026, what stuck with you? And what should the 2028 organisers absolutely, definitely repeat? 

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Credit: Hancu Louw.