Archaeologist Anna Leone has played a central role in the opening of a new interactive museum in Chenini, southern Tunisia.
The museum, located in the Tataouine region, showcases how the local Imazighen people have survived extreme heat and drought by using traditional building and water management methods.
Climate projections indicate that rising temperatures will threaten their unique mountain settlements within 150 to 200 years without intervention.
Supported by the British Council's Cultural Protection Fund (CPF), the museum project has helped the community to transform an abandoned traditional house into a cultural and economic hub.
It also included the restoration of a fortified, shared granary dating back to Roman times, with inscriptions from the 12th century.
Tunisian archaeologists, architects and conservators were also trained in preservation techniques.
Meanwhile, traditional crafts and building methods - developed to help communities thrive in harsh climates - have been documented and restored.
Research with real-world impact
Professor Anna Leone from our Department of Archaeology led the project, drawing on her 25 years of research into North African history and culture.
A leading expert on North African heritage conservation, Professor Leone and her team worked closely with Tunisian experts to protect Chenini's unique stone cave settlements.
Her team trained Tunisian and Libyan heritage professionals in skills such as drone mapping, 3D modelling and building-condition assessment.
These techniques support long-term conservation of fragile buildings and landscapes.
Professor Leone said: "The newly established Centre for the Promotion of Heritage in Tataouine, Tunisia's first interactive digital centre, offers visitors immersive experiences and authentic, locally crafted products.
"The journey getting here has been a truly enriching experience - combining scientific research, documentation of the impact of climate change on local culture, and meaningful engagement with the communities themselves."
A new cultural and economic hub
The museum building includes exhibition rooms, women-led craft workshops, a small café, and a co-working area with internet access for young people.
Stephanie Grant, Director of the Cultural Protection Fund, said: "It is wonderful to see a traditional building given a new life and sense of purpose for the community.
"This project shows that such spaces can bring people together to learn from the past and to understand more about the global challenges we face in the future."
