Ibrahima THIAW is Professor of Archaeology at the Institut Fondamental d’Afrique Noire (IFAN) of the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, Senegal. He holds a doctorate in anthropology from Rice University in Houston, Texas. His past and current research interests include slavery and the Atlantic slave trade, colonial archaeology, Euro-African interactions in the construction of the modern world, museums, cultural heritage management, and the politics of memory and identity. He is a strong advocate of decoloniality in research practices, reflexivity and community engagement. He has published numerous books and articles on Atlantic expansion, material culture, intercultural interactions, and heritage management in West and Central Africa.