( CNN ) -- When Sada Mire fled war-torn Somalia as a frightened teenager , the nation was descending into darkness , mired in the grip of a long civil conflict . But several years later , when she returned to the Horn of Africa as an ambitious archaeologist , her fierce determination and meticulous fieldwork brought to light the region 's rich cultural heritage . In 2007 , her archaeological pursuits resulted in the discovery of 5,000-year-old rock art in Somaliland , a breakaway state in the northwest corner of Somalia . The prehistoric findings , which include renderings of animals as well as human figures , are significant in enhancing understanding about the prehistoric way of life across the region , says Mire . Somaliland 's first archaeologist , Mire is now on a mission to preserve and protect what she says is a heritage at risk of disappearing . Ancient findings like the rock paintings , which were discovered at Dhambalin , in a sandstone shelter near the Red Sea , not only have historic importance , but also help restore a sense of self-esteem and cultural pride in the people of Somaliland , she says . Many were completely unaware of the existence and significance of archaeology before the discovery of the cave paintings . `` I would bring them to the site and explain how important the site is potentially for helping them , '' Mire says . `` Initially it was very difficult to communicate that but after a while I managed to get their attention -- they even ended up sort of feeling a sense of dignity that actually 'this is our site ' -- a feeling that 'we have nothing but we have this . ' Somaliland declared independence in 1991 , but is n't internationally recognized as a separate state . Mire spent her early years in Somalia 's capital Mogadishu , along with her identical twin sister Sohur . There , the two sisters enjoyed a normal childhood until a bloody conflict erupted in 1982 . Their mother decided that their future would not be in Somalia and started to plan an escape to Sweden . When the two sisters arrived in the Scandinavian country , they encountered a completely different reality to the one they were used to before . `` I remember the first feeling was like a glass of milk in a fridge -- sort of thinking why is it so cold ? But I think we got used to it , '' Mire recalls . `` The fact that it was totally , completely different to what we had experienced was in a way healing itself , because now you had nothing to associate with what we had been through -- you could sort of reinvent yourself in a new world , '' she says . Determined to make the most of their new opportunities , Mire and her sister settled for a few years in Sweden before relocating to the United Kingdom to pursue their studies . Mire 's professional journey brought her back to Somaliland a few years ago , where she embarked on a mission to unearth its cultural heritage . But while discovering significant archaeological findings , she also saw first-hand the tough conditions people lived in . `` There was no access to clean water , there was no access to basic education especially in the rural areas where the archaeology was , '' she says . `` So for me , finding an extraordinary archaeological site I had to think how is this going to help these people and not just me as a researcher . '' Stemming from that sense of social responsibility , Mire helped set up and now heads Somaliland 's Department of Antiquities , a branch of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism . Dividing her time between Somaliland and the UK , she is determined to educate her fellow Somalis about their history as well as raise awareness across the world about Somali cultural heritage . `` I feel very committed , '' she says . `` My hope for this is to be able to set up an institution which can help produce students -- Somali archaeologists , Somali cultural heritage managers . ''
Sada Mire is on a mission to raise awareness about Somali cultural heritage . The archaeologist discovered prehistoric cave art in Somaliland in 2007 . Hide Caption