Editorial

Abstract

The first JoGA special issue is also the first publication of contributions presented at a TANA meeting. The TransArea Network Africa (TANA) was founded in 2014 as one of the collaborative formats within the DAI to facilitate networking between its various departments and commissions that are running projects in Africa. This concerns the Commission for Archaeology of Non-European Cultures (KAAK) in Bonn, the Orient Department and the DAI’s Head Office in Berlin as well as its departments in Cairo, Rome and Madrid. TANA facilitates exchange between members of the DAI and their African and global partners in order to support and strengthen archaeological research and heritage conservation in Africa. The network also aims to have an impact in Germany by promoting the importance of Africa in German research institutions and expanding collaborations with universities and other research partners. Annual meetings have taken place in Germany and Africa (Tunisia, Egypt, Ghana, Morocco), during which members and African partners presented their work and discussed overarching issues relating to the archaeology of Africa.