Current Project Announcement

Exploring the Cultural Significance of Tanzania's "Mountain of God"

On June 6, cultural anthropologist Simon Larsson traveled to northern Tanzania to begin an ethnographic study for Applied Heritage and Resource Solutions focused on Ol Doinyo Lengai, known in Maasai tradition as the "Mountain of God."

While Ol Doinyo Lengai is internationally recognized as an active volcano, this research seeks to understand the mountain through a broader cultural lens—examining its significance as a place of spiritual meaning, cultural memory, and community identity.

The study explores how Maasai religious traditions, landscape knowledge, and everyday relationships with place connect Ol Doinyo Lengai to enduring concepts of sacred geography, fertility, healing, renewal, and divine presence. By documenting local perspectives and lived experiences, the project aims to deepen our understanding of how communities interpret and steward culturally significant landscapes.

This work builds upon Applied Heritage and Resource Solutions' ongoing research into sacred volcanic landscapes, including previous studies at El Malpais in New Mexico, where lava flows, caves, trails, and volcanic formations are closely tied to origin stories, ceremonial practices, collective memory, and stewardship traditions.

Larsson, a Swedish cultural anthropologist with prior experience living and working in Tanzania, brings a strong background in ethnographic research to the project. This marks his first study specifically focused on the relationship between Maasai communities and the cultural significance of volcanic landscapes.

Reflecting on the project, Larsson shared:

"I will explore how Ol Doinyo Lengai figures in Maasai religious expression, landscape knowledge, everyday life, and ideas of fertility, healing, renewal, and divine presence. During the field visit, I will conduct interviews, make site-based observations, and work with local interlocutors and community representatives in the Ol Doinyo Lengai area."

The study will culminate in a comprehensive report for Applied Heritage and Resource Solutions, providing practical insights into how cultural knowledge can inform the stewardship and management of significant volcanic landscapes.

Photo Credits:

• Featured image: Simon Larsson during fieldwork in a Maasai village outside Arusha, Tanzania (November 2025). Photo by Emmanuel Abisalom.

• Second image: Summit of Ol Doinyo Lengai prior to the major eruptions of 2007–2008. Photo by William Calvin (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Follow along in the coming weeks as we share updates from Simon's fieldwork in Tanzania, highlighting the people, places, and cultural knowledge that continue to shape understanding of Ol Doinyo Lengai—the Maasai "Mountain of God."