Chantal Radimilahy
Chantal Radimilahy is an archaeologist and museum curator from Madagascar. She was the first woman from the country to earn a PhD in Archaeology and the first woman to direct the Museum of Art and Archaeology at the University of Antananarivo. Career Radimilahy was a doctoral researcher at the Sorbonne University in France between 1981 and 1985, where she studied prehistoric and protohistoric ethnology. Her thesis explored ancient iron-working in Madagascar. She then moved to the University of Uppsala where she studied for a second doctorate, which she was awarded in 1998. This second research project examined the town of Mahilaka, a medieval town in north west Madagascar. After completing these research projects, Radimilahy has continued to undertake field work at multiple sites in Madagascar and use preventative archeology to protect at-risk sites. In addition to research, she has worked on the collection of Chinese ceramics held at the university museum, an important indicator of trade across the Indian Ocean. She has also spoken out about the need for preventative conservation at sites in Madagascar and the importance of communities being involved in that process. She has held prominent memberships and positions on different scientific and archeological societies, including being