Fidelis Masao

Dr. Fidelis Masao was the first student to graduate with a PhD from the Department of Archaeology in 1977 under the supervision of Roy Carlson.

Currently, he is a Senior Lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. He also serves as the Chair of the East African Rock Art Research Association (EARARA), as well as a lecturer for National Geographic expeditions along with Louise Leakey. His research areas include palaeoanthropology, evolution, African Archaeology, rock art, and museology.

Dr. Masao has held the positions of Visiting Professor at Rutgers University, Associate Professor of Archaeology and Geography at the Open University of Tanzania, Director and Coordinator of Palaeo-cultural & Environment Research, Principal Curator of the Arusha National Natural History Museum, and Director of the National Museums of Tanzania. In 2020 he received an award for outstanding research for his contribution to African Archaeology and palaeontology from the Stone Age Institute and CRAFT (Centre for Research into Anthropological Foundations of Technology) at Indiana University.