Digital Heritage Library & Museum

The digital library and archive of African heritage.

An open archive for documented African heritage — objects, manuscripts, oral histories, images, audio recordings and traditional knowledge — organised to library and archival standards, with provenance, rights and verification preserved for every record.

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The archive is being populated

The Digital Heritage Library is the public-facing layer of the Heritage Studio. Objects and collections published here are drawn from heritage records that have been submitted by custodians, documented and verified through the ACE workflow, and consented to for public presentation.

At present, no objects have been published in the Digital Library. As custodians register their heritage through the Heritage Studio, verified records will appear here as catalogue entries — each with its Heritage ID, custodian attribution, provenance, rights status and access conditions.

The structure of the archive

Future collections

Six thematic collections will form the archive. Each will hold verified, custodian-consented records, presented as catalogue entries with full metadata.

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African Civilisations

Historical civilisations, kingdoms, trade networks and the material culture they left behind.

Awaiting first records

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Languages & Manuscripts

Written and oral languages, manuscripts, scripts and the knowledge recorded in them.

Awaiting first records

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Traditional Knowledge

Documented knowledge held by communities — botanical, medicinal, agricultural and ecological.

Awaiting first records

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Crafts & Textiles

Weaving, beadwork, pottery, carving, metalwork and pattern systems.

Awaiting first records

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Music, Dance & Performance

Traditional instruments, musical forms, dance and performance traditions.

Awaiting first records

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Oral Histories

Recorded narratives from elders and knowledge holders, preserved with consent.

Awaiting first records

How the Digital Heritage Library works

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Custodian-led. Every object in the archive comes from a heritage record submitted by a recognised custodian through the Heritage Studio. Nothing is published without custodian consent.
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Verified before publication. Records pass through the ACE verification workflow — including provenance review, rights confirmation and community approval where applicable — before they appear here.
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Rights and access respected. Some records will be fully public. Others will be restricted by the custodian, for example sensitive traditional knowledge or community-held material. Access will be granted by request.
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Linked to Heritage Passports. Where a record has a Passport, its catalogue entry will link to the full documented identity — provenance, rights, permissions and verification history.
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Stable references. Every published object will carry a stable Heritage ID (for example PH-ETH-000012). This reference can be cited in research, education and public materials.
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Request access or register heritage. If you are a custodian or institution who wishes to add material to the archive, use the Register Heritage page. If you wish to access restricted material, use the Verify page to locate the record and request access.

Be part of the first collections.

The Digital Heritage Library grows from what custodians choose to document and publish. The first verified records will set the standard for the archive.