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The “History of archaeology” commission of the International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences (IUPPS)

In 1865 the first international organization for prehistoric archaeology was founded in La Spezia (Italy) as the Congrès international d’anthropologie et d’archéologie préhistorique (CIAAP). It was active until the First World War, when it was dissolved due to the rivalries between nations. A new organization was created in 1931, in Bern, to continue this international effort, the “International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences” (IUPPS). Since then, it groups together all the sciences related to prehistoric and protohistoric studies: archaeology, anthropology, palaeontology, geology, zoology, botany, environmental sciences, physics, chemistry, geography, history, numismatics, epigraphy, mathematics and other.
Research into the mechanisms of adaption and the dynamics of human societies lies at the heart of the IUPPS’s scientific interest. The IUPPS therefore periodically organises a world congress of prehistoric and protohistoric sciences and creates scientific commissions devoted to specific research issues.
One of these commissions is devoted to the History of Archaeology.

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Narciso Sabão Domingos @ IUPPS History of archaeology

Since October 2024 – Doctoral student in Archaeology and Prehistory at Université Toulouse Jean Jaurès, France. Research topic: Contributions of Henri Breuil to the montages of prehistoric chrono-cultural sequences in Sub-Saharan Africa (1929–1952). Supervisors: François Bon and Isis Mesfin.

June 2024 – Master’s degree in Biodiversity, Ecology and Evolution, specializing in Quaternary, Prehistory and Bioarchaeology, at the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris, France. Research topic: Reconstruction of the prehistoric and historical origins of the Congolese lithic collection of Abbé Breuil preserved at the Musée de l’Homme, Paris, France. Supervisors: Stéphanie BONILAURI and Isis MESFIN.

December 2017 – Bachelor’s degree in Educational Sciences, History Teaching option, at the Instituto Superior de Ciências da Educação do Sumbe, Angola.

Professional experience

  • 2021–present – Collaborator, National Museum of Archaeology of Angola
  • 2025–present – Lecturer in Archaeological Practices, Introduction to Archaeology, Pedagogical Practices, and History and Sociology Teaching Internships, ISCED Sumbe

Oral presentations

  • Contributions of Henri Breuil to the assemblies of prehistoric chrono-cultural sequences in Sub-Saharan Africa (1929–1952) – CNRS ATOL 2024, DIGARQ Workshop 2024, presentation of DIGARQ 1 results (2025, Ebo, Angola)

Laboratory work and research

  • 2025 – Participation in UISPP 2025 (International Union for Prehistoric and Protohistoric Sciences), presentation: “From Colonial Exploitation to the European Museum: The Circulation of African Prehistoric Collections in Henri Breuil’s Expedition (1929)”
  • 2025 – Study of archives of Breuil, Goodwin, Van Riet Lowe, and Dart at the Universities of Wits and Cape Town, South Africa
  • 2025 – Study of collections at the National Museum of Lubumbashi, DRC
  • 2024 – Participation in CNRS ATOL thematic school: technical-functional approach to lithic tools
  • 2024 – Study of Henri Breuil’s archaeological collections from South Africa, preserved at the Institute of Human Paleontology, France
  • 2024 – Study of lithic collection 53.7 from DRC, preserved at the Musée de l’Homme, Paris
  • 2024 – Seminar in Experimental Archaeology, Hungary (QPB 7)
  • 2024 – Quaternary Archaeology Training Seminar, Bloemfontein, South Africa

Field experience in archaeology

  • 2025, 2024 and 2023 – Co-supervision of field courses at Ndalambiri Cave, Ebo Municipality, Angola (dir. Maria Helena Benjamim, Isis Mesfin, Jacob Lussento Cupata)
  • 2024 and 2022 – Mormolo and Dungo, Angola (Paleolithic)
  • 2023 – Montmaurin, Haute-Garonne, France (Paleolithic)
  • 2023 – Prés-de-Laure, middle valley of the Jabron, France (Paleolithic)
  • 2022 – Seal Rocks Shelter, Erongo Massif, Namibia

Publications

MESFIN, I., BENJAMIM, M.-H., CUPATE, J. L., BENJAMIM, E. P., COUTROS, P. R., HAMMOU, Y., DOMINGOS, N. S., HANON, R., RAUL, C. M., VIE, J.-T. (2025). A New Multidisciplinary Approach to the Ndalambiri Rockshelter, Cuanza Sul Province, Angola. 

Professional links

“Digging into the archives: new perspectives on documentary legacies in the history of archaeology” panel @ 21th IUPPS Conference, Poznan, Poland

Call for paper

Submission: 21th IUPPS Conference website

The 21st century has seen a substantial leap forward in research on the history of archaeology. This progress has largely been driven by the discovery and re-evaluation of personal archives and documentary legacies left by pioneering archaeologists. Examining these materials not only enhances our understanding of the scientific contributions of women and other disadvantaged groups made by these foundational figures but also sheds light on new data related to historic excavation sites. Additionally, it reveals how the social, political, and gendered contexts have influenced archaeological practice and interpretation over the past two centuries.
This session invites scholars to explore the importance of engaging with historical documentation in archaeology and to address critical questions such as: What previously unpublished insights can be revealed in original documents—correspondence, photographs, and excavation diaries? In what ways have the contributions of women and other disadvantaged groups been overlooked in the history of archaeology? How might transdisciplinary approaches, drawing on history, heritage studies, gender studies, and digital humanities, open new avenues for interpreting archival sources?
We also encourage submissions that consider how the digital era will shape future historiography in archaeology, including the process of heritage-making both in its historical development and in the dissemination of its history. This session provides a platform for reflection and dialogue on these issues, highlighting the transformative impact of historiographical research on archaeology and its potential to shape the discipline’s future. While organised by the UISPP History of Archaeology commission and the ArqueólogAs/Herstory project (PID2023-149477NB-I00), this is an open call to researchers working in archives worldwide

“Reproducing archaeological objects: historical, material and empirical approaches” panel @ 21th IUPPS World Congress, Poznan, Poland

Call for paper

Submission: 21th IUPPS Conference website

Reproductions of prehistoric objects or monuments, such as casts, rubbings, copies, drawings and photographs, are commonly found alongside archaeological material and archives in museums and universities. However, until recently, these reproductions have attracted little interest from researchers. This session aims to highlight these objects and emphasize their usefulness in contributing to the history of prehistoric archaeology. The presentations will examine the process of creating these reproductions and provide an opportunity to share methodologies that link materiality, archives, and epistemology.
The session will focus on the people involved in producing these reproductions: what political, scientific or artistic choices motivate their selection and manufacture? Does tracing their history reveal networks of actors and circulations that are similar to or different from those of archaeological objects? Studying their production enables to consider the choice of medium, its materiality and the technical expertise involved, which is not necessarily equivalent to archaeological expertise. This enables us to identify and trace the individuals on the margins of the history of archaeology, often referred to as “little hands”. How have these reproductions been used over time? Are they preferred educational tools or promotional items?
The session will also consider the value of these objects at the time of their production and how this has evolved. This includes scientific, heritage, memorial, educational, artistic and sentimental value. Presentations may shed light on the epistemology of the discipline through these objects. Does the experience of reproducing an archaeological object brings us closer to the experience of those who crafted it in earlier periods? In other words, is reproduction a privileged means of accessing the past? To what extent does reproduction retain its primary function over time while also becoming an archive of the history of the discipline? What conservation and jurisdictional issues do these objects raise today?

While organized by the UISPP History of archaeology commission, this session is an open call to researchers working on archaeological objects and their reproductions.