A bow-shaped tool (klada in Nafaanra) made from flexible wood and taut string rests on a folded handwoven blue-and-white textile called Kyara. Women used the bow to prepare cotton for spinning into thread. After removing seeds from the cotton, they held the bow's string over the fibers. Plucking the string caused cotton fibers to stick to it. By pulling up on the bow, the cotton became fluffed and its fibers aligned, making it easier to spin. The klada and handwoven textiles seen in the picture were among heirloom objects on display as part of a Heritage Day and Olden Times Foods Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. Ahenkro, 2014-07-31.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Kyekye and is sewn from strips of similar dark blue-and-white design. Variation in patterning is created by offsetting strips. Sections of solid color created by weaving blue weft over blue warp threads are sewn to strip sections with horizontal stripes created by alternating blue and white weft threads. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Women work together to shape (foreground) and coat (center) fuura balls in preparation for an Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship from Amanda L. Logan. The cooked and pounded dough rests in an aluminum headpan, from which women take handfuls of dough that they will form into balls using a calabash bowl (chrɛgbɔɔ in Nafaanra). A smaller pan holds millet flour in which the finished balls are rolled before serving. Ahenkro, 30 July, 2014.
A folded white textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre, with sponsorship from Amanda L. Logan. The name of this cloth design is Bɔfige. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Two folded textiles made from handwoven cotton strips, pieced together in a design called Dɔnkɔnfra. They were photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. One cloth rests on top of the other. The lighter colored strips in each cloth have white warp threads woven together with white, red and blue weft threads. Darker strips were woven from blue and white warp and weft threads. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A folded gray-and-white textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. Textiles of this design are called Gbenalekinu. A narrow band of red woven accent can be seen on two of the strips. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Mmɔlɔ and is sewn from strips of similar blue-and-white striped design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
8.165892, -2.354363
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Two textiles made from handwoven cotton strips rest on an aluminum tray, together with a spindle wrapped with locally made cotton thread, next to which is some unspun fluffed cotton. This blue-and-white cloth design is known as Mmɔlɔ Kyara. Visible at the top of the image are two baskets in which women keep their spinning equipment. To the right, a calabash ladle rests inside a calabash bowl (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra). These heirloom objects were among displays at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship by Dr. Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
A folded textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. The name of this cloth design is Mmɔlɔ Kyara. A wood spindle wrapped with locally made cotton thread rests alongside the cloth. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
8.165892, -2.354363
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Two folded textiles made from handwoven cotton strips, pieced together in a design called Mmɔlɔ Kyara. They were photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. One cloth is made from alternating strips of white and blue-and-white striped cloth. The other is made of similar blue-and-white strips, in which white weft threads create a checkered design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Sorghum grains (Sorghum bicolor) have been boiled in water to make pito, a fermented beer. The grain will be sieved away after the liquid ferments. A woman lifts a calabash bowl (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) of the fermenting liquid from the aluminum headpan that holds the mixture. Ahenkro, 6 June, 2011.
Finished balls of fuura, a pearl millet dumpling, rest in an aluminum headpan. The food is made from fermented pearl millet, which is ground and mixed together with ground spices and water. The mixture is formed into balls, which are boiled. Boiled balls may be pounded and more spices added, after which the mixture is shaped into balls and rolled in ground millet before serving. The balls are smashed and enjoyed with pepper sauce or milk. This dish was prepared and served at the Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship from Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 30 July, 2014.
A woman pulls fuura dough from a pounded mass that rests in an aluminum headpan. The food is made from fermented pearl millet, which is ground and mixed together with ground spices and water. The mixture is formed into balls, which are boiled. Here the boiled balls have been pounded into a dough in preparation for forming the balls. They will be rolled in ground millet before serving. This dish was prepared and served at the Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship from Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 30 July, 2014.
Two textiles made from handwoven cotton strips rest on an aluminum tray, together with a spindle wrapped with locally made cotton thread, next to which is some unspun fluffed cotton. This blue-and-white cloth design is known as Mmɔlɔ Kyara. Visible at the top of the image are two baskets in which women keep their spinning equipment. To the right, a calabash ladle rests inside a calabash bowl (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra). These heirloom objects were among displays at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship by Dr. Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Nyankakya and is sewn from strips of similar white-and-blue design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Surugukawa and is sewn from strips of similar blue-and-white striped design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
Several folded textiles made by sewing together handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Yongokyara and is sewn from alternating strips of white or white-and-blue and dark blue-and-white designs. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft;
A textile made of handwoven cotton strips, photographed while on display at a Heritage Day and Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre. This cloth is called Yowɔɔ and is sewn from strips of similar dark blue-and-white striped design. Ahenkro, 31 July, 2014.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects Facet:
Textiles; West African strip weaving; Weaving; Handicraft
A metal pot holds a grain-based dish known as chobi in Nafaanra. Made from fresh maize, the kernels are cut from the cob and cooked together with a wild leaf (flewe in Nafaanra). It is served with oil and pepper. This dish was prepared and served at an Olden Times Food Fair held at the Banda Cultural Centre with sponsorship from Dr. Amanda L. Logan. Ahenkro, 30 July, 2014.
A container of fish covered by leaves sits near a smoking over, awaiting processing. A plastic hanger and a Guiness carton site nearby in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
An aluminum headpan holds fish known as Asentewe (Alestes baremoze) that are ready for smoking. The fish have been scaled and gutted, and a bamboo skewer placed through their tail and head to hold them as they smoke. The pan sits on the edge of a smoking oven, next to two wooden and mesh smoking trays in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work; Headpans
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food
Fish known as Asentewe (Alestes baremoze) have been laid on their backs in a wood and mesh smoking tray. The fish are oriented on their backs to retain the fat in their belly. Multiple trays will be stacked and covered while smoking for up to four days. Trays are periodically rotated in the stack to ensure even smoking of all the fish. Two aluminum headpans used to carry the fish sit nearby. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work; Headpans
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food
Owusu Alexander weaves a large raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. To the left, wrapped on a stick that is leaning against a stack of sun-dried bricks, is a narrow mat that he wove to demonstrate mat weaving techniques. Four large pottery jars rest upside down near a house wall in the background. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has secured four split fronds around his left index finger as he weaves with his right hand. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Five wooden racks containing fish sit on top of a rectangular earthen smoking oven in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. A metal roofing sheet covers the stack. The metal-sided shed behind the oven is where women scale and gut the fish in preparation for smoking. A deep wooden mortar and five pestals of varying size and shape rest against a nearby house. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (Resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food; Mortars & pestles
Ewe fishermen Maxwell Gbadago (left) and Dzobo Sebastian (right) use knives to remove knots and shape bamboo sticks that they will use in weaving a basketry fish trap. A number of unsplit bamboo stalks await processing. A large blue industrially made fish net is laid out behind where they sit. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Ewe (African people)
Dzobo Rubben, an Ewe fisherman, twists a vine that will be processed into rope for use in fish trap making. The twisted and coiled vine will be allowed to dry for several days before it is processed by pounding with a wooden mallet. The surrounding ground is covered with bamboo sticks and shavings, also part of the materials used in fish trap making. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
A dried raffia palm frond prepared for mat weaving. The stiff end of the frond has been removed and the frond has been split into two pieces almost to the base. Owusu Alexander folds and layers the two halves before weaving. Leaving the pieces attached at the base facilitates his weaving process. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. He weaves with his right hand as he secures the work with his left hand, wrapping two frond portions around his index finger as he weaves. Sabiye, 19 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a bundle of raffia palm frond strips. He has removed these from the leaves as he prepared materials for mat weaving. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. He folds one set of fronds over the other with his right hand, while using his left index finger to secure his work. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander demonstrates the process of starting a raffia palm mat, beginning by layering fronds that he has split down the middle. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a knife to split dried raffia fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. He removes the stiff rib and splits the resulting two side pieces of the frond in half, leaving a few centimeters at the base of each half unsplit. Here he folds the unsplit end in half, which allows him to easily layer the two halves when he adds them to his mat. Weaving with layered frond pieces makes a thicker and more durable mat. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Dzobo Rubben, an Ewe fisherman, carries a cutlass in his right hand and a long bamboo stalk over his left shoulder. He has harvested the bamboo from riparian forest along the Volta River in preparation for making a fish trap. Volta River, 16 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a cutlass, raffia palm fronds and a stick that he has cut from the base of raffia palm frond. He has harvested these raffia materials in preparation for weaving a mat. Sabyie, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander lays out raffia palm fronds to dry in the sun. He has harvested the fronds in preparation for making a raffia palm mat. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Dried raffia palm fronds, sorted in preparation for mat making. Owusu Alexander has separated the portion of the fronds he will use for mat making from those portions that are not useful. The stiff ribs (right) can be used to make brooms and the thin pieces (left) will be used as tinder in making fires. The fronds in the center are those that he will use in mat weaving. The knife he has used to separate the fronds lies on a tree root at his feet. Sabiye, 17 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander holds a raffia palm leaf from which he is stripping fronds that he will use to weave a mat. A group of stripped fronds lie on the ground by his feet. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
A raffia palm tree. Raffia palm leaves are used in mat weaving and the woody base of raffia palm fronds can be used to make household objects like chairs. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander uses a cutlass to trim the woody base of a raffia palm frond. He will use this stick as a base for weaving a raffia palm mat, rolling the mat on to the stick as the work progresses. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022
Owusu Alexander weaves a raffia palm mat. He has wrapped three split fronds around his left index finger and uses his left thumb to secure a frond laid across these. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Owusu Alexander adds new fronds as he weaves a raffia palm mat. He has tied the in-progress mat to a raffia palm stick to anchor the mat as he weaves. The mat is wound around the stick as weaving proceeds. Sabiye, 22 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben weaves the top section of a basketry fish trap. He uses cordage to bundle bamboo sticks and narrow the trap toward its top. In lower rows, individual bamboo sticks are separated by two twists of rope. As the weaver nears the top, he reduces the twist between sticks to one, narrowing their spacing. In the next row he bundles two sticks separated by one twist. He then bundles four, then eight, creating a cone-shaped trap. Behind, another in-progress trap with narrower spacing between sticks stands upright against a shed. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
A partially finished basketry fish trap made from bamboo and vine cordaage sits upright in the Ewe fishing village of Akanykrom. This resettled village was established after the community was displaced by construction of Bui Dam. Fish traps like these can no longer be used downstream of the dam because of reduced water flow, nor can they be used on the lake behind the dam. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben weaves a basketry fish trap. He uses cordage to secure the bamboo sticks, using his feet to hold the trap in place as he weaves using cordage made from vines. These woven sticks will form the outer body of the basketry trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Ewe fishermen Dzobo Sebastian (center), and Dzobo Rubben (left) weave the tongue (exa woade in Ewe) of a basketry fish trap. They use vine cordage to secure the bamboo sticks. This portion of the trap is inserted into the woven cylindrical trap body, allowing fish to enter but blocking their exit from the basketry trap. Maxwell Gbadago (right) uses a wooden mallet to pound a vine that has been twisted and dried in order to remove its bark and make it pliable. The resulting rope will be used to weave remaining parts of the fish trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Five stacked racks containing fish sit on top of a rectangular earthen smoking oven in the resettled Ewe village of Akanyakrom. The wood racks have a metal mesh base on which the fish are placed. A metal roofing sheet covers the stack. Leafy boughs used in smoking lie in front of the furnace to the right of an aluminum headpan. A blue plastic drum used to store water sits against the wall of a nearby house. Akanyakrom, 16 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (Resettled)
Subjects:
Women's work; Water barrels; Plastic containers; Headpans
Subjects Facet:
Fishing villages; Food processing; Smoking of food; Mortars & pestles
An in-progress narrow raffia mat used as a teaching/learning aid. The mat is tied to a raffia palm stick that holds the mat in place as weaving proceeds. Loose raffia pieces extending from the middle and top of the mat represent places where raffia strands have been added or ended. These loose ends will be trimmed when the mat is completed. The active row of weaving is seen at the bottom of the picture. Sabiye, 28 July, 2022.
A wooden mallet used in rope making lies on the ground to the right of a coil of rope. This rope was made by beating the surface of a vine to remove its bark and soften its texture. The rope will be used to weave a large bamboo fish trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
A ball of fufu in light soup, accompanied by okra and meat, served in a shallow blue-and-white bowl. Fufu is a starchy staple made by pounding cooked yam, cassava and/or plantain to achieve a smooth texture. It is eaten by pulling off small pieces using fingers, which are used to scoop up the soup. Light soup is made from a mixture of onions, garden eggs (small eggplant) and tomato, which are cooked and ground to create a smooth thin soup. Ahenkro, 13 July, 2022.
A yam tuber (finjye in Nafaanra). Yams are a preferred staple food in the Banda area. After being peeled, yams are typically boiled, after which they may be pounded to make fufu. They can also be served as cooked slices (known throughout Ghana as ampesi) accompanied by a sauce. Ahenkro, 12 July, 2022
A young cassava plant (dwa in Nafaanra) growing in an intercropped field. Manihot esculenta was introduced to Africa from the western hemipshere. It can be grown on soils that have been depleted of nutrients by other crops. Its cultivation requires little labor and its tubers, which provide a starchy staple, can be left in the ground for long periods. Other than as a source of calories, the tubers have little nutritional value. Cassava leaves, however, are used as vitamin- and nutrient-rich additions to soups. Lying on the ground around the cassava plant are dried maize stalks (bleju in Nafaanra) left behind from a previous planting cycle. Sabiye, 15 July, 2022.
A cassava tuber (dwa in Nafaanra). Manihot esculenta was introduced to Africa from the western hemipshere. It can be grown on soils that have been depleted of nutrients by other crops. Its cultivation requires little labor and its tubers, which provide a starchy staple, can be left in the ground for long periods. Other than as a source of calories, the tubers have little nutritional value. Ahenkro, 12 July, 2022.
Maize plants (bleju in Nafaanra) growing in an intercropped field. Zea mays L. was introduced to Africa from the western hemisphere. It is today a staple crop valued for its relatively high yields and its short maturation time that can allow farmers to grow two crops in one year. Ahenkro, 12 July, 2022.
A partially complete basketry fish trap made with bamboo sticks and vine cordage. View looking to the interior after four bracing hoops have been inserted. The hoops are placed at intervals to expand and brace the bamboo sticks that make up the trap's outer body. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben holds the woven triangular bamboo-and-rope cover to the basketry fish trap as Dzobo Sebastian secures it in place. This cover can be removed to access fish in the trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fishermen Dzobo Rubben (left), Maxwell Gbadago (center) and Dzobo Sebastian (right) stand alongside a bamboo fish trap that they made from locally harvested resources. The trap is oriented in the way it would be placed in the water, braced by two long sticks that would be driven into the river bottom. The trap would also be secured by a rope anchoring the trap to a nearby tree or other secure object. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben uses a cutlass to smooth a stick that will be used to make the interior hoops that open and brace the inside of basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work; Cutlasses
Subjects Facet:
Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Sebastian forms a hoop from a flexible stick. He uses his feet to secure the stick as he makes a hoop of the right size to stretch and brace the bamboo sticks of the outer body of a basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Cordage used to secure a hoop formed from a flexible stick. The hoop will be used to stretch and brace the bamboo sticks of the outer body of a basketry fish trap. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
The completed interior trap (tongue, exa woade in Ewe) made of bamboo that will be inserted into the outer body of the basketry fish trap. Once inserted and secured, the tongue allows fish to enter but blocks their exit from the trap. A twisted vine lies on the ground in front of the inner trap. This is the first step in processing the vine into rope like that used to weave the trap. A bale of industrially made blue fishing net sits in the background. Akanyakrom, 26 July, 2022.
Dzobo Rubben, an Ewe fisherman, holds a vine that has been twisted in preparation for rope making. The vine will be set aside to dry for several days before being processed by pounding with a wooden mallet. The rope will be used in fish trap making. Bamboo sticks that will be used for the body of the basketry fish trap can be seen lying on the ground in the background. Akanyakrom, 18 July, 2022.
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Sebastian uses rope made from a vine to secure bamboo sticks as he weaves a basketry fish trap. He has woven a first row, now secured by pegs, and is moving in the opposite direction as he weaves a second row. He uses his feet to secure the bamboo sticks as he twists the cord between sticks. Behind him is a wooden mallet used to process the cordage. A large blue industrially made fish net is stretched out behind him. Akanyakrom, 21 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled)
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Ewe fisherman Dzobo Rubben weaves the top section of a basketry fish trap made of bamboo and vine cordage, securing the trap with his feet as he works. He uses cordage to bundle bamboo sticks and narrow the trap toward its top. In lower rows, individual bamboo sticks are separated by two twists of rope. As the weaver nears the top, he reduces the twist between sticks to one, narrowing their spacing. In the next row he bundles two sticks separated by one twist. He then bundles four, then eight, creating a cone-shaped trap. Akanyakrom, 23 July, 2022.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom (resettled);8.246709, -2.244840
Subjects:
Men's work
Subjects Facet:
Bamboo; Cordage; Fish traps; Handicrafts; Baskets; Ewe (African people)
Broken bowl of a locally made clay smoking pipe, 2 views (left: bowl interior; right: bowl exterior). Pipes like this were made across West Africa after Europeans learned the practice of smoking tobacco from First Peoples of the Americas and introduced it to Africa in early centuries of the trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe bowl has a flared pedestal base decorated with red paint. The oval bowl is decorated with vertical rows of triangular impressions, above which are two grooved lines and an area with red paint. The bowl's interior is blackened from use toward its base. The bowl's rim and its stem are missing. The potting clay used to make the pipe is tempered with fine white grit. Photo scale in cm. Site Kuulo Kataa. 28 June, 2000.
A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 4 views (bottom: pipe base; center left: view from side with bowl to right; center right: front of bowl; top: view from top). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe has a cylindrical bowl and lobed ("quatrefoil") base, the bottom of which shows signs of abrasion. On the base, vertical grooves mark the areas between lobes. Four horizontal gooves separate the base from a zone of vertical columns of diagonal impressions ("V"). Upper areas of the bowl are marked by another set of horizontal grooves. The bowl's rim is missing. Its stem joins the bowl at the base (a "single-angled" form). The cylindrical stem ends in a collar with a flat lip. The stem is decorated with two grooves line around its circumference. Photo scale in cm. Site A236. 23 March, 2001.
A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 3 views (bottom: pipe base; center: view from side with bowl to left; view from top). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe has a cylindrical bowl and rounded base that shows extreme use-wear abrasion to that point that a hole has formed in the pipe's base. The bowl is decorated with two sets of horizontal incisions. Below the bottom set are several vertical incisions. Above the top set is faint overall dentate impression The bowl's rimis very abraded. The pipe's stem joins the bowl at the base (a "single-angled" form). The cylindrical stem ends in a rounded collar with a flat lip. Photo scale in cm. Site A236. 24 March, 2001.
A hunter carrying a shotgun is joined by a senior hunter as he performs a hunter's dance (Bɔfɔɔrɔ in Nafaanra). Oral history recounts that the dances are those of animals observed and copied by ancestral hunters, generations ago. Accompanied by drummers (on right), the hunters perform in front of an assembled group of villagers during a family history interview. A young woman in the background uses a cell phone to record the event. A performance of Bɔfɔɔrɔ at a June 2019 Banda Heritage Event can be viewed through a link below. Fawoman, 21 May, 2019.
A no-trespassing sign posted by the Bui Power Authority along the paved Ahenkro-Bongase road several kilometers north of Ahenkro identifies "land under acquisition" by the Bui Power Authority (BPA). Electrical poles and wires run along the roadside. The large land parcel under acquisition by BPA has long been home to farms worked by families in Ahenkro and Bongase. These farms produce food for household consumption and cash crops, including cashew. View looking northward, Ahenkro-Bongase road, June, 2016.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2016-06-20
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro; Bongase
Subjects Facet:
Agriculture; Cash crops; Bui Dam (Ghana); Roads; Electrification
A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 2 views (bottom: view from side with pipe bowl to the left; top: view from top). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe's cylindrical bowl has a flared pedestal base, the bottom of which shows signs of wear/abrasion. The bowl's rim has broken away. The stem joins the bowl at the base (a "single-angled" form). The cylindrical stem flares at the rim to a flattened lip. The pipe bowl is decorated with closely spaced rows of dentate impression. The flared base is decorated with several clusters of incised lines. Photo scale in cm. Site A233. 10 March, 2001.
The Bui Hydroelectric Dam was built on the Black Volta River by Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower engineering and construction company. Construction was begun in 2008 and the first turbines became operational in 2013. Here the dam is viewed looking to the northwest from the newly constructed bridge downstream from the dam. Bui Dam site, 20 June, 2019.
A fleet of motor-powered fishing boats along the shore of Bui Lake, formed by flooding behind Bui Dam as waters rose from 2012. Winds and waves on the lake require use of these larger motor-powered boats compared to the smaller canoes from which people fished on the Black Volta River prior to dam construction. Large fishing nets lay bundled near the boats. Fishing with industrially made nets has largely replaced alternatives like fishing with basket traps that were an effective and sustainable practice used by local Ewe fishermen. Bui Lake, near Bongase, 16 July, 2022.
View of the old Bongase to Ahenkro road, roughly three km south of Bongase, now inundated by the waters of Bui Lake as it rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. A canoe is visible on the shallow lake waters and the Banda hills rise steeply from the surrounding low rolling landscape. Concrete plinths line a cemented walkway, constructed as part of a foot bridge intended to replace the unpaved road, visible on the other side of the lake. Waters continued to rise, ultimately flooding the walkway. View to the south. Banda-Bongase, 16 July, 2022.
A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 3 views (bottom left: view from front; bottom right: side with pipe bowl to the left; top: view from top). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe's bowl has a slightly flared base, the bottom of which shows signs of abrasion. Above its base, the pipe bowl is outward flaring. The bowl is decorated by overall diagonal incisions that meet to form a "V" pattern. The front is marked by a vertical row of circular impressions. Rounded appliques have been added to the bowl near to its base. The bowl's rim is missing. Its stem joins the bowl at its base (a "single-angled" form). The cylindrical stem is slightly collared at its end and has a rounded lip. The pipe has been minimally cleaned on the exterior and soil remains in the bowl interior. Photo scale in cm. Site Kuulo Kataa. 6 July, 1995.
Broken bowl of a locally made clay smoking pipe, 2 views (left: bowl interior; right: bowl exterior). Pipes like this were made across West Africa after Europeans learned the practice of smoking tobacco from First Peoples of the Americas and introduced it to Africa in early centuries of the trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe bowl flares outward toward its rim and inward toward its base. Its inward-flaring bottom is decorated with red paint in a zone marked by a deep horizontal groove. Above this, decorated zones are separated by two vertical grooves. Zones of hatched incised lines alternate with vertical rows of rectangular impressions. The top half of the bowl's interior is blackened from use. The bowl's base and the pipe's stem are missing. The potting clay used to make the pipe is tempered with fine white grit. Photo scale in cm. Site Kuulo Kataa. 6 July, 2000.
A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 2 views (bottom: view from side with pipe bowl to the left; top: view from top). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe's bowl has a flared pedestal base with traces of red paint. The rounded pipe bowl is marked by deep vertical grooves at its base, above which are closely spaced horizontal rows of dentate impressions. The bowl's rim is missing. Its stem joins the bowl at its base (a "single-angled" form). The stem is collared at its end and has a flat lip. The potting clay used to make the pipe is tempered with fine white grit. Photo scale in cm. Site Kuulo Kataa. 4 July, 2000.
A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 2 views (bottom: view from side with pipe bowl to the left; top: view from top). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe's bowl has a flared pedestal base, the bottom of which shows signs of abrasion. Above its base, the pipe bowl is decorated with a zone of criss-cross incisions demarcated by two horizonal incisions (one above and one below). The bowl's rim is missing. Its stem joins the bowl above its base (a "double-angled" form). The stem flares somewhat toward its lip which is flattened. Photo scale in cm. Site Ngre Kataa. 27 May, 2009.
Stem and base of a clay smoking pipe, 2 views (bottom: view from side with pipe bowl to the right; top: view from top). Short-stemmed pipes like this were made across West Africa after Europeans learned the practice of smoking tobacco from First Peoples of the Americas and introduced it to Africa in early centuries of the trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe has a round flared base. Its bowl is missing. The stem joins the bowl at the base (a "single-angled" form). The cylindrical stem has a collared, lobed ("quatrefoil") lip with circular impressions and small incisions on each of four lobes. The pipes is decorated overall with a red slip. Photo scale in cm. Site Makala Kataa. 27 June, 1990.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Makala Kataa, Station 6, Mound 4, Unit 14W 35S, Level 11
A short-stemmed, locally made clay smoking pipe, 3 views (bottom left: bowl base and step viewed from top; bottom right: bowl base and stem from side, with pipe bowl to the left; top: bowl front). Pipes like this were inspired by those used by America's First Peoples from whom Europeans learned about tobacco. Europeans introduced tobacco smoking to West Africa during the early centuries of trans-Atlantic trade. This pipe's bowl has a slightly pedestaled base, the bottom of which shows signs of abrasion. Above its base, the pipe bowl is outward flaring and constricts slightly at the lip. The upper area of the bowl is decorated by overall vertical incisions interspersed with single vertical rows of circular impressions. A horizontal groove marks the boundary between a lower zone decorated with angled incisions. The pipe's stem joins the bowl above the bowl base (a "double-angled" form) and its lip is rounded. The pipe has been decorated with an overall red slip. It has been minimally cleaned on the exterior and soil remains in the bowl interior, with the end of a root visible in the bowl's base. Photo scale in cm. Site Kuulo Kataa. 29 June, 1995.
A curved, tanged iron blade (brɔfiɛn in Nafaanra), slightly shouldered at the base (right), with a short narrow tang for the purpose of hafting to a wood handle. The tool shows signs of corrosion. The artfiact was excavated from a house mound. Scale in cm. Length: 19.1 cm. Weight: 54.7 g. Ngre Kataa, 4 June, 2009.
Miniature iron shackles (manacles). The artifact was excavated from a context that archaeologists interpret as a shrine located in metallurgical workshop. The shrine included many pottery jars and lids, iron bangles and other objects. The miniature shackles were placed inside a pottery jar, which was found lying on its side and broken. The shackles have been corroded by rust. Scale in cm. Width: 7.4 cm. Weight: 16.1 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 9-10 June, 2009.
Triangular-headed iron projectile point with squared base (left) and long tang (right). To make an arrow (snini in Nafaanra), the tang was inserted into a straight shaft made of bamboo, reed or lightweight wood to which it was hafted. This artifact was excavated from what archaeologists interpret as a house mound. It shows signs of corrosion by rust. Scale in cm. Length: 9.6 cm. Weight: 12.6 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 3 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 7, Unit 10N 30E, Level 6. Piece plot, 44 cm S, 127 cm W, 76 cmbd
Iron projectile point. The head (left) is asymmetrical, perhaps the result of its base being broken. The intact side of the base is shouldered. Two small barbs protrude from opposite sides of the point's long tang (right). To make an arrow, the tang would have been inserted into a shaft made of bamboo, reed or lightweight wood. This point was found in an area (mound 6) that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. The artifact has been corroded by rusting. Scale in cm. Length: 10.1 cm. Weight: 8.9 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 4 June, 2009.
A tri-looped iron bangle (SF 09-158) and a flat iron disc (SF 09-159) exposed insitu between two stones. The surfaces of the stones showed signs of use for grinding. This group of objects (cluster D) was found near--and may have been part of--a larger cluster of objects (A-D) that archaeologists interpret as a shrine placed over stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Photo scale marked in 5 cm intervals. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 9 June 2009.
An iron blade, rounded at the tip (left), flared at the base and with a short tang (right) which allowed it to be hafted to a wood handle. The tool shows signs of corrosion. The blade was excavated from a level characterized by abundant iron slag and ashy soil. Scale in cm. Site Kuulo Kataa. 23 June, 2000.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Kuulo Kataa, Mound 131, Unit 126E 140N, Level 10
Date:
2000-06-23
Location(s) Facet:
Kuulo Kataa
Subjects:
Tanged blade; Iron tool
Subjects Facet:
Iron; Blades (tool and equipment components); Archaeology; Artifacts (Antiquities)
Asymmetrical barbed iron projectile point with a bent shaft. This artifact was found in an area that archaeologists interpret as a metallurgical workshop. It was found near--and may have been part of--a large cluster of objects interpreted as a shrine. The (partial?) point has been corroded by rusting. Scale in cm. Length: 9.1 cm. Weight: 11.3 g. Site Ngre Kataa, 6 July 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 6, Unit 48N 8W, Level 6. Piece plot, 5 cm S, 5 cm W, 102 cm bd
Tanged iron blade with pointed tip (left) and rounded shoulders. Two large concretions adhere to the blade's corroded surface. The tang (right) would have allowed the blade to be hafted to a wooden or bamboo shaft or handle. If hafted to a long shaft, it may have been used as a spear (chombo in Nafaanra). This artifact was found closely associated with a copper alloy twinned figurine, an iron bangle, a rounded quartz pebble and several other objects, which archaeologists interpret as a shrine cluster. The cluster was placed among metal-working features in a metallurgical workshop. Scale in cm. Length: 8.6 cm. Weight: 12.6 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 19 July 2008.
Triangular-headed iron projectile point with a barb at the head's base (left) and a long tang (right). To make an arrow (snini in Nafaanra), the tang was inserted into a straight shaft made of bamboo, reed or lightweight wood to which it was hafted. This artifact was found in an area (mound 7) that archaeologists interpret as a house mound. The projectile point shows signs of corrosion by rusting. Scale in cm. Length: 9 cm. Weight: 9.2 g. Site Ngre Kataa. 7 July, 2008.