Archival Recovery and Preservation
The Timbuktu Manuscript Recovery Project
A comprehensive initiative to digitize and preserve Islamic manuscripts from Timbuktu's historic libraries and family collections. This project works with local scholars to create high-resolution digital copies of thousands of documents covering astronomy, mathematics, medicine, law, and literature, making these treasures accessible while protecting them from environmental degradation and conflict.
Ethiopian Royal Chronicles Digitization
An effort to preserve and digitize ancient texts from Ethiopian monasteries and archives, including the Kebra Nagast, royal chronicles, and illuminated manuscripts written in Ge'ez. This project partners with the Ethiopian Orthodox Church and cultural institutions to safeguard materials dating back centuries.
Oral History Archive: Voices of the Diaspora
An ongoing collection of oral histories from descendants of enslaved Africans across the Americas and Caribbean. Using audio and video recording, we document family stories, cultural practices, and memories that connect contemporary communities to their ancestral homelands in West Africa and beyond.
Moroccan-Saharan Trade Route Documentation
Recovery and preservation of documents, maps, and records related to the trans-Saharan trade networks that connected Morocco to sub-Saharan Africa. This includes merchant records, travel accounts, and correspondence that illuminate centuries of cultural and economic exchange.
Liberian Settler and Indigenous Archives Initiative
A dual-focused project preserving both the records of Americo-Liberian settlers and the oral traditions and cultural documentation of Liberia's indigenous peoples, creating a more complete historical record of the nation's complex heritage.
Anthropological and Historical Research
Ancient Migration Pathways Study
A multi-year field research project tracing historical migration routes across West, North, and East Africa. Combining archaeological surveys, DNA analysis, linguistic studies, and oral tradition documentation, this project maps the movement of populations and the spread of cultural and technological innovations across the continent.
Timbuktu as a Center of Learning Research
An investigation into Timbuktu's role as a major intellectual hub from the 13th to 17th centuries. This research examines the universities, manuscript production, and scholarly networks that made the city a beacon of knowledge in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and Islamic jurisprudence.
Ethiopian Highlands Civilization Study
Archaeological and historical research on the ancient kingdoms of Aksum, the Zagwe dynasty, and the Solomonic dynasty. This project examines trade connections, architectural achievements, religious developments, and the unique political systems that sustained Ethiopian independence for millennia.
Trans-Saharan Exchange Networks Analysis
Field studies documenting the cultural, religious, and economic connections between Morocco and West African kingdoms. This research traces how ideas, goods, and peoples moved across the Sahara, creating a complex web of relationships that shaped both regions.
West African Coastal Societies Research
Anthropological studies of the societies along the Guinea coast, examining political structures, spiritual systems, artistic traditions, and the impact of European contact from the 15th century onward.
Educational Outreach
Reclaiming Heritage Curriculum Initiative
Development of culturally responsive educational materials for K-12 and college levels that accurately present African civilizations. Includes comprehensive units on the empires of Mali and Songhai, the scholarly traditions of Timbuktu, Ethiopian Christianity and its ancient roots, and the diverse cultures of West Africa.
African Scholars Legacy Youth Program
An annual program for young people that explores the intellectual achievements of African scholars, scientists, and philosophers. Participants study figures like Ahmed Baba of Timbuktu, Ethiopian chroniclers, Moroccan travelers like Ibn Battuta, and engage in hands-on research projects.
Community Heritage Workshops
Traveling workshops bringing historical and genealogical research tools to African and diaspora communities. Sessions cover how to trace ancestry to specific regions including Timbuktu, Ethiopia, Morocco, Liberia, and Guinea, and how to interpret historical documents and DNA results.
Digital Heritage Platform
An online learning portal featuring virtual exhibits on African civilizations, including interactive tours of Timbuktu's manuscript libraries, Ethiopian rock-hewn churches, Moroccan imperial cities, and the cultural heritage of Guinea and Liberia. The platform includes documentary films, timelines, and educational modules accessible to global audiences.
Historical Literacy for Sustainable Development
Programs connecting knowledge of African innovations in agriculture, architecture, water management, and sustainable living with contemporary development challenges, showing how traditional knowledge can inform modern solutions.
The Root Nine Foundation and Institute
Projects
2026 - 2028
Our Mission
The Root Nine Foundation and Institute is dedicated to restoring and amplifying the profound legacy of lost or forgotten civilizations and bringing awareness of their global impact. Rooted in the inspiring story of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima ibn Sori—a Fulbe prince of Timbuktu and Timbo, Guinea—our work honors his journey from nobility through enslavement to resilience, guiding our commitment to cultural reclamation and scholarly restoration.
What We Do
We advance knowledge of ancient civilizations through four interconnected pillars of work. Our archival recovery and preservation efforts digitize rare manuscripts, oral histories, and cultural records from marginalized communities, ensuring these vital voices are protected for future generations. Through rigorous anthropological and historical research, we conduct field studies examining ancient migrations, dynasties, and the cultural systems of African peoples and their descendants.
Our educational outreach programs promote historical literacy, cultural pride, and sustainable development, empowering communities with knowledge of their heritage. Finally, our African studies and diaspora scholarship engages in comparative analysis of African civilizations, exploring their cultural, religious, and socio-political contributions that have shaped our interconnected world.
Together, these efforts illuminate the rich tapestry of African history and its enduring influence on global language, science, mathematics, and culture.
African Studies and Diaspora Scholarship
Islamic Scholarship in Africa Research Initiative
A comprehensive study of the development of Islamic learning centers across Africa, from Timbuktu to Harar, examining how African scholars contributed to theology, law, science, and philosophy while developing distinctly African Islamic traditions.
Ethiopian Christianity and Ancient Connections
Research exploring Ethiopia's unique Christian tradition, its connections to early Christianity, the preservation of ancient texts lost elsewhere, and the cultural exchange between Ethiopia and the Mediterranean world, Arabian Peninsula, and Egypt.
Trans-Atlantic Cultural Retention Study
Comparative research tracking how cultural elements from Timbuktu, Guinea, Liberia, and other regions traveled to the Americas, documenting language patterns, spiritual practices, agricultural knowledge, and artistic traditions maintained and transformed in the diaspora.
African Mathematical and Scientific Heritage Project
Documentation of contributions including Timbuktu's astronomical charts and mathematical treatises, Ethiopian calendar systems and medical knowledge, Moroccan advances in algebra and architecture, and indigenous West African metallurgy and engineering.
Pan-African Trade and Diplomacy Study
Scholarship examining how African states conducted international relations, including Ethiopian missions to Europe, Moroccan diplomatic networks, Timbuktu's scholarly exchanges with Cairo and Mecca, and West African kingdoms' engagement with European powers.
Women Leaders in African History Research
A collaborative initiative highlighting queens, scholars, merchants, and spiritual leaders including Ethiopian empresses, Moroccan saints and scholars, women merchants of Timbuktu, and female chiefs and secret society leaders across West Africa.
