During a communal labor day, young men from Ahenkro gather close to the site of the Banda Cultural Centre where they are making blocks which will be used to construct the Centre. Center photo, men mix sand with cement while those to the right use a block machine to form the bricks. Finished blocks are stacked in the background. A mason, standing left, supervises the work. Headpans and buckets used in the work sit nearby. Each of Ahenkro's four Unit Committees provided communal labor for block-making which made construction of the Banda Cultural Centre possible. Ahenkro, 1994.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre; Unit committees; Communal labor; Headpans
Members of the 1994 archaeological excavation team at Makala Kataa. Team members included a National Service and a staff member from the Ghana National Museum, American graduate students and Banda men from Ahenkro and Makala. Back row (L-R): Kwame Bio, Samuel Babatu, __, Kwame Anane, Donkor Johnson, Timothy Fordjour, Daniel Mensah, __, Yaw Francis, __, __, Kwadwo Manu. Middle row (L-R): __, Kwame Abrifa, Kwasi Peter, Amos Bediako, Kwabena Mensah, Kofi "Photo" Manu, Yaw Frimpong, Alex Ababio. Front row (L-R): Caesar Apentiik, Ann Stahl, Maria Dores Cruz, Obour Bartholomew, Kwasi Ali, Obimpeh Blorpor, Leith Smith, Victor Mattey, Osei Kofi, Brian Thomas. Also pictured are Frank Osei Kofi, Seth Tahara, Kwame Menka, Kwame Okyei, and Thomas Bio. Makala Kataa, July, 1994.
Members of the 1990 archaeological excavation team at Makala Kataa. Team members included Banda men from Ahenkro and Makala. Back row (L-R): Kwasi Donkor, Donkor Johnson, __, Lamini, Kwasi Mensah (driver), Kwadwo Manu, Obour Bartholomew, Yaw Francis, Enoch Mensah, Mensah Listowell (red shirt). Front row (L-R) Daniel Mensah, Kwabena Mensah, Malik Abrefa, Ann Stahl, Yaw Frimpong, Osei Kofi. Also pictured are Peter Donkor and Richard Aboabo. Makala, July, 1990.
Members of the 1989 archaeological excavation team at Makala Kataa. Team members included Banda men from Ahenkro and Makala. Left-right: Enoch Mensah, Yaw Frimpong, Kwasi Donkor, Obour Bartholomew, ___, Osei Kofi, Samuel Babatu, Yaw Francis, Mustapha, Donkor Johnson. Makala Kataa, July, 1989.
Archaeological excavations of Mound 6 at Ngre Kataa in 2009 expose a workshop where blacksmiths produced iron and copper-alloy tools and ornaments. The mound is being excavated in 2 x 2 meter units named for the coordinates of their northeast corner. In unit 50N 0W (foreground), an area of burned soil marks the location where blacksmiths heated metals. A pottery jar sits in place to the right. In surrounding units (50N 2W, 48N 0W, 48N 2W) are large anvil stones where the hot metals would have been hammered and shaped through forging. The mound's stratified deposits suggest that the workshop area was used for many decades, and perhaps centuries, between the years of about 1350 and 1520 CE (Common Era). View across the mound from the northeast looking towards the southwest. Site Ngre Kataa. 27 June, 2009.
Miniature lost wax cast spoon, perhaps a gold weight. From Ngre Kataa, Mound 7, Unit 14N 22E, Level 8. Length: 4.3 cm. Weight: 2.1 g. Ngre Kataa, 27 June, 2009.
Members of the archaeological excavation team joined by the Dompofie chief and teachers during the last days of the 1995 season at Kuulo Kataa. Team members included Banda men from Ahenkro and Dompofie along with visiting American graduate students and Ann Stahl. Back row (L-R): __, __, __, __, __, __, Amos Bediako, __, Alex Ababio, Daniel, __, Kwasi Peter, __. Middle row (L-R): Nana Emmanuel Dwiru, Yaw Francis, Kwasi Ali, Anane, __, Kofi "Photo" Manu, Donkor Johnson, Yaw Frimpong, Osei Kofi, Obimpeh Blorpor, Enoch Mensah, Kwame Anane, __, __. Front row (L-R): Kwame Bio, Alex Caton, Leith Smith, Ann Stahl, Obour Bartholomew. Also included in the photo are Alex Donkor, Alfred Nkrumah, Anane Peter, Asamoa Martin, John Preprah, Kwadwo Masoate, Kwadwo Nkrumah, Moses Nsiah, Peter Bile, and Stephen Okrah. Kuulo Kataa, July, 1995
A crucible used to process copper alloys from Kuulo Kataa, Mound 130, Unit 95E 102N, Level 12. Crucibles like this would have been used to heat copper alloys to a liquid state for use in casting, including casting through a lost-wax process. Scale in cm. Kuulo Kataa, 27 June, 2000.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Kuulo Kataa, Mound 130, Unit 95E 102N, Level 12
Location(s) Facet:
Kuulo Kataa
Subjects Facet:
Handicraft; Metal casting; Metalworking; Copper alloys; Lost wax casting; Archaeology; Lost-wax process; Crucibles; Artifacts (Antiquities)
A Makala elder pours libations at the site of Makala Kataa to open work on a Friday. He is accompanied by two members of the 1994 Banda Research Project excavation team, both from Makala. L-R: __, __, __. Makala Kataa, 1994.
Banda Research Project excavation team members at work on Mound 118 at Kuulo Kataa. Wooden stakes mark the corners of 2x2 meter excavation units, several of which are in progress. North American students Leith Smith (white hat and shirt) and Alex Caton (far right) are pictured along with men from Dompofie and Ahenkro. View looking northward. Kuulo Kataa, 1995.
Finger ring made from twisted copper alloy wire. From Ngre Kataa, Mound 6, Unit 44N 4W, Level 5. Width: 2.3 cm. Weight: 1.6 g. Ngre Kataa, 8 July, 2009.
Young girls dressed in the attire for Manaa Ndiom (puberty) and Bijam (wedding) rites as part of a cultural performance in Boase. The event was organized by the chief and elders of Boase and filmed by the Banda Heritage Local Committee. Front, L-R: ___, ____. Rear, L-R: ___, ___, ___. Boase, 11 Nov, 2018.
Chief and Elders of Boase on the day of a cultural performance organized to showcase the Manaa Ndiom, Bijam and funeral songs and dances previously practiced in the community. Front, L-R: ___, ___, Boase chief Tolԑԑ Ligbi Wulotei, ____. Boase, 11 Nov, 2018.
Three spindles with painted spindle whorls made in Kokua in 1994 rest on a black-and-white strip-woven cloth worn by a woman attending the Banda Heritage Celebration held at the Banda Cultural Centre. In the past Banda area women used spindles and whorls like these to spin cotton thread. Ahenkro, 28 June, 2019.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2019-06-28
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre
Subjects Facet:
West African strip weaving; Textiles; Spinning; Spindle whorls
Storytelling is an entertaining way through which elders convey wisdom to younger people. Here three of Ahenkro's storytellers share stories at a Banda Heritage Event held at the Banda Cultural Centre. A film of the storytellers sharing tales can be accessed through the "iaff_works" link below. L-R, Idisa Yaya, Akosua Mattah, and Alhasa Watara. Ahenkro, 28 June, 2019.
Front view of the Banda Cultural Centre after repainting. The Centre provides space for community gatherings and guest rooms for Banda Research Project and other community visitors. The Centre's motto/logo is "Nyu nunu," (Nafaanra) or "Unity," symbolized by an Adinkra design showing two crocodiles who share the same stomach. Commissioned in 1995, the main building, pictured here, was constructed in 1994-95 through a combination of Banda Research Project funding and communal labor supplied by Ahenkro's four Unit Committees. The building is administered and maintained by the community. Ahenkro, 22 June, 2019.
The earthen walls of a house on one side of a multi-room compound have collapsed, the walls filling in the area that was once the house floor. The thatched roofs of other rooms around the open courtyard can be seen in the background. Sabiye, 1994.
View of excavation units at Mound 2, Station 10, Makala Kataa. Wooden stakes mark grid points at 2 m intervals and string is used to mark the boundaries of 2 x 2 m excavation units. A deep pit in the corner of Unit 82W 14S (bottom, left) has been excavated and is set up for being photographed with a scale and photo board. Several Banda Research Project team members work as children look on. View to the south. Makala Kataa, July, 1994.
An aerial view of Banda area settlements and roads, looking southeastward from the north side of Banda-Ahenkro, district administrative center since 2012 of the Banda District in Ghana's Bono (formerly Brong-Ahafo) Region. The linear range of Banda hills is visible in the background (right, top) with the compact core of Banda-Ahenkro center photo. To the west (right) and north (bottom), Ahenkro's houses are more dispersed than in its compact and older core. The left-hand fork of a Y-shaped road (center photo) is the main road that leads south towards Sabiye and Bofie to Menji. The right-hand fork is the now-bypassed old main road between Ahenkro and Kabruno. The road that extends horizontally across the left side of the photo is the paved road that extends from the Banda junction to the Wenchi-Bamboi road (N12). The clustered villages visible south of Ahenkro include Kanka, Kabruno, Sase, Gbao, Dompofie and Makala. To the west (photo's far right) of the Y-Junction, toward the base of the Banda hills, are light-green rectangular areas devoid of trees. These are fields once cleared for tobacco cultivation and now put to other forms of mono-cropping (single crop farming). To the east of Ahenkro (photo's far left) the angular straight edges and lighter green color of a cashew plantation stand out from the surrounding vegetation. Cashew has become an increasingly important cash crop grown in the area since the early 2000s. Two photos. Ahenkro, 25 June, 2019.
Two men (left) stand on the edge of a deep pit previously mined by potters from around Bui Village as a source of potting clay. The deep clay pit was used before the mid-20th century when potters were still practicing their craft east of the Banda hills. The clay pit was located along a stream which drained into the Black Volta on its south bank, on the road leading west from Bui Village. The pit was located in an area later flooded by the rising waters of Bui Lake after construction of the Bui Dam. A red-and-white 2 meter photo scale stands upright in the pit to show the pit's depth. West of Bui, 1989.
A wooden spindle thickly wrapped with cotton thread rests in a large calabash bowl. The bowl sits on a wooden stool adjacent to the legs of blue plastic chairs on which elder women sit at a Banda Heritage Celebration held at the Banda Cultural Centre. One woman wears a strip-woven textile made with black, white, red and yellow threads. Bottom right is the basket in which she stores her spinning supplies. Ahenkro, 28 June, 2019.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2019-06-28
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre; Cotton thread
Subjects Facet:
West African strip weaving; Gourd, Calabash; Textiles; Spinning
Two Banda Research Project team members screen excavated soil at Mound 102, Kuulo Kataa. The men work on the edge of a cleared area several meters away from excavation unit 55W 69N. Thick vegetation covers the mound behind them. A headpan of excavated soil sits in front, awaiting screening. After sieving the soil, the men carefully pick and bag artifacts (fragments of pottery, metals, beads, animal bone) left in the screen. Studying these artifacts and the contexts from which they were recovered (their provenience) helps archaeologists to learn about the daily lives of past people. Kuulo Kataa, 2000.
In-progress excavations at Mound 130, Kuulo Kataa. A notched tree trunk provides a ladder into the deep units. The south walls of units 93 & 95 E, 110N are visible (center photo), showing the mound's layered deposits. In unit 95E 106 N (photo right), Emmanuel Duku (left), Wazi Apoh (center) and Leith Smith (right) record soil colors using a Munsell Soil Color Chart. Top left, two team members work by a screen used to sieve excavated soil, piles of which are visible in the background. Mound 130 covers an area of approximately 1100 m2 and rises to roughly a meter above the surrounding ground surface. Excavation here revealed thick layers of ashy midden deposits inter-stratified with walls and floors of houses. Kuulo Kataa, 2000.
Banda Research Project team members prepare to profile the north wall of unit 55W 69N at Mound 102, Kuulo Kataa. Osei Kofi (blue shirt) prepares to take measurements from a level string anchored by chaining pins. Alex Caton (wearing a hat) prepares to draw the profile. Wooden pegs mark the corners of the 1 x 2 m unit. Mound 102 is a large deep midden mound which covers approximately 1600 m2 and rises several meters above the surrounding ground surface. A single 1 x 2 m unit was excavated to the base of level 13, after which a 1 x 1 m unit was excavated to almost 4 m, removing roughly 5 m3 of soil. Kuulo Kataa, 8 July, 2000.
Banda Research Project team members Courtney Amos (left), Leith Smith (center) and Emmanuel Duku (right) document the stratigraphy and soil characteristics of the west wall of unit 68E 4N at Mound 129, Kuulo Kataa. Duku measures the boundaries of stratigraphic layers using a metal tape measure and a level string anchored midway down the profile wall. Amos uses graph paper to create a profile map, marking the locations of points measured by Duku. Smith uses a Munsell Soil Color Chart book to record the color of soils from top to bottom along the profile wall. Kuulo Kataa, 2000.
Base of excavation level 21, unit 68E 4N, Mound 129 at Kuulo Kataa. Visible in the walls of the 1 x 2 m unit are its distinct soil layers. Dark upper levels contained many rootlets. These soils transition to a lighter brown zone below, which in turn shows a distinct boundary with ash-filled gray levels beneath. Three radiocarbon dates associated with the gray ashy levels fall in the calibrated age range from c. 1400 to 1530 CE. Equally distinct is the boundary below the ashy layers, where lighter brown soils of lower levels can be seen in plan view at the base of the unit. Several features are visible against these lighter-colored soils. Center photo is an irregularly shaped patch of laterite which archaeologists interpreted as a remnant floor. At upper and lower right, concentrations of charcoal stand out against surrounding light soil. Mound 129 covers roughly 750 m2 and rises roughly 2 meters above the surrounding ground surface. Its stratigraphy suggests a complex history of formation through both primary occupation (living surfaces) and refuse dumping (midden deposits). Kuulo Kataa, 17 June, 2000.
Banda Research Project team member Enoch Mensah stands on a ladder in unit 55W 69N, Mound 102 at Kuulo Kataa. A tape measure and a level line have been set up on the north wall of the unit in preparation for drawing a profile map. Mound 102 is a large deep midden mound which covers approximately 1600 m2 and rises several meters above the surrounding ground surface. A single 1 x 2 m unit was excavated to the base of level 13, after which a 1 x 1 m unit was excavated to almost 4 m, removing roughly 5 m3 of soil. Three radiocarbon samples from lower levels of the mound (3-3.5 m below the ground surface) had calibrated age ranges of c. 1400-1530 CE. Kuulo Kataa, 2000. Kuulo Kataa, 2000.
Banda Research Project team members draw a profile map of walls in completed excavation units, Mound 5, Station 6. Enoch Mensah (kneeling) records measurements as Yaw Frimpong (standing) holds a tape measure. Makala Kataa, 1989. Wooden stakes marking 2 m grid intervals are visible across the mound surface. Makala Kataa, 1989.
Base of level 7, unit 4W 4S, Mound 5, Station 6, Makala Kataa. An area of burned soil (left), several flat grinding stones (center) and an everted rim jar are exposed at the base of the level. The unit wall shows the transition from dark soils close to the mound's surface and the lighter soils in its lower levels. Makala Kataa, 6 July, 1989.
West wall of excavation unit 4W 4S, Mound 5, Station 6, Makala Kataa. Rootlets can be seen in the dark soils of upper levels. Midway down the profile are concentrations of burned sediment, remains of pots and other artifacts. Some of these rest on compacted "floor" deposits--orange-brown in color. The rounded body of a large storage jar is visible in the south wall (left). Together these reflect a living surface that appears to have been left at short notice (in light of the number of intact pots and other things left behind). The upper levels formed on top of this living surface as rain and wind moved soil across the site. Below the "floor" level, the soils are lighter brown and yielded few artifacts. Makala Kataa, 12 July, 1989.
A deeply worn grinding stone excavated from Level 5, Unit 130W 28S, Mound 138, Kuulo Kataa. Mound 138 is a low mound covering roughly 300 m2. Mound 138 deposits included slag and a burned feature (Unit 130W 30S) which was probably related to processing metals. These associations suggest that the grinding stone in unit 130W 28S may have been used in metalworking activities. Photo scale in 5 cm intervals. Kuulo Kataa, 1995.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Kuulo Kataa, Mound 138, Unit 130W 30S, Level 5
Date:
1995-07-12
Location(s) Facet:
Kuulo Kataa
Subjects Facet:
Archaeology; Excavations (Archaeology); Artifacts (Antiquities); Grinding stone
The standing wall stubs of a small structure are surrounded by trees at Makala Kataa. Its walls were built using an atakpame technique. The grass cover has been cleared by archaeologists in preparation for site mapping. Far right, Banda Research Project team members work on nearby Station 10 excavation units. According to oral histories, people moved from this area of Makala Kataa to establish a new village in a place immediately east of the old settlement. This move happened at a time when British colonial officials were implementing "village planning" schemes in the early decades of the 20th century. Makala Kataa, 1990.
Banda Research Project team members use cutlasses to clear the grass around Makala Kataa, 1989. Small trees cover much of the site surface. Baobab trees also grow on the site, one of which is visible in the background (right). Makala Kataa, 1989.
Wooden grid pegs mark the edges of a 2 x 2 m excavation unit (foreground) as two Banda Research Project team members screen soil (right) at Station 6. Osei Kofi carries an empty head pan (left). After sieving the soil, the men carefully pick and bag artifacts (fragments of pottery, metals, beads, animal bone) left in the screen. Studying these artifacts and the contexts from which they were recovered (their provenience) helps archaeologists to learn about the daily lives of past people. Makala Kataa, 1989.
The deeply stratified deposits of a midden mound are visible in the east wall of excavation unit 2W 2S, Mound 101, Kuulo Kataa. Mound 101 is a large mound covering roughly 1200 m2 and rising roughly 3 m above the surrounding ground surface at its apex. Unit 2W 2S was excavated to a depth of ca. 330 cm below the mound surface to the point where laterite rock was encountered. It was excavated as a 2 x 2 m unit to level 15, narrowing to a 1 x 2 m from level 16, with a total estimated 8.7 m3 of soil removed from the unit. Upper levels were characterized by dark soils with many rootlets which transitioned to lighter brown soils. Gray ashy soils dominated the lower cultural levels of the mound. At base, orange-brown clayey soils appeared above the laterite substrate. Kuulo Kataa, July, 1995.
The deeply stratified deposits of a midden mound are visible in the east wall of excavation unit 2W 2S, Mound 101, Kuulo Kataa. Mound 101 is a large mound covering roughly 1200 m2 and rising roughly 3 m above the surrounding ground surface at its apex. Unit 2W 2S was excavated to a depth of ca. 330 cm below the mound surface to the point where laterite rock was encountered. It was excavated as a 2 x 2 m unit to level 15, narrowing to a 1 x 2 m from level 16, with a total estimated 8.7 m3 of soil removed from the unit. Upper levels were characterized by dark soils with many rootlets which transitioned to lighter brown soils. Gray ashy soils dominated the lower cultural levels of the mound. At base, orange-brown clayey soils appeared above the laterite substrate. Visible in the profile wall, to the left and slightly lower than a circular area of dark soil, is the interior of a pottery jar, the other half removed and reconstructed (KK 95-693; see link below). Kuulo Kataa, July, 1995.
A light-colored slurry plaster is visible in the base of level 8 in excavation unit 64W 4N, Mound 118, Kuulo Kataa. The plaster is associated with floors and walls of a collapsed structure. Dark circular areas which interrupt the slurry may represent post holes. A photo scale with 5 cm intervals points north. Kuulo Kataa, 14 July, 1995.
Close-up photo of slurry plaster, level 8, excavation unit 64W 4N, Mound 118, Kuulo Kataa. The outer edge (upper left) of a wall/floor appears light in color against darker subsoil. A photo scale with 5 cm intervals points north. Kuulo Kataa, 15 July, 1995.
A burned basin-like feature is visible in profile in the east wall of excavation unit 130W 26S, Mound 138, Kuulo Kataa. Clustered and adjacent to the burned area at the base of level 7 are three pottery pedestal bases, broken away from their original pots. The presence of slag and other burned features in adjacent units suggest that Mound 138 was a place where the site's occupants worked metals. A photo scale with 5 cm intervals points north. Kuulo Kataa, 14 July, 1995.
A narrow excavation trench cuts across several low mounds at Makala Kataa, Station 10. A low wall stub is visible to the left of the trench in the foreground. Trees dot the site, and low piles of screened excavated soil from the trench are visible in the background. According to oral histories, people moved from this area of Makala Kataa early in the 20th century when British colonial officials implemented a "village planning" scheme. People built new houses east of the old settlement and in time the old houses collapsed and formed low mounds. Makala Kataa, 1990.
Banda Research Project archaeologists unearth two everted-rim jars in level 8 of Unit 4E0S at Station 6. L-R: Obour Bartholomew; Caesar Apentiik, ___. Makala Kataa, 16 July, 1994.
Two everted-rim jars partially exposed in level 8 of Unit 4E 0S, Mound 5 at Station 6. View looking east. Photo scale in 10 cm increments. Makala Kataa, 16 July, 1994.
Banda Research Project team members excavate units at Mound 6, Station 6, Makala Kataa. Alex Ababio (standing left, in hat) watches as Kwasi Peter digs with a short handled hoe, placing excavated dirt into headpans. Leith Smith (center) and Yaw Francis (right) look on. In the background (right) other team members screen soil. Wooden stakes mark 2 m interval grid points with excavation units marked off by string. A large baobab, one of several on the site, is visible in the background (right). Makala Kataa, June 1994.
Several grinding stones, a whole pot and a cluster of pottery sherds have been exposed in situ at the base of level 3, unit 44N 4W at Mound 6, Ngre Kataa. The large grinding stone in the foreground (grinding stone 1, NK-08-112) is oriented with its grinding surface facing down. Another smaller stone rests on a soil pedestal created as archaeologists excavated surrounding soil to a lower level. Upper right, a whole pottery jar (NK-08-176) sits next to a large grinding stone (grinding stone 3, NK-08-173) oriented with its grinding surface up. To the far left, above the photo scale in centimeters, archaeologists have exposed the edges of a pottery jar, broken in half and lying on its side. As excavations extended into the adjacent unit (42N 4W, to the left), this broken pot was found to be associated with two tuyere fragments. This cluster of grindstones, tuyeres and nearby burned features is interpreted as part of a larger metal-working workshop, the activities of which led to the build up of mound 6. The soil on the right side of the unit is darker because it is moister than that on the left. View to west. Site Ngre Kataa. 1 July, 2008.
Banda Research Project team members Amanda Logan (right) and Amy Groleau (left) draw a plan map of units 44N 4W and 44N 6W, Mound 6, Ngre Kataa. They map in situ artifacts and features, including several large grinding stones, a whole pot, pottery clusters and a tuyere fragment. Wooden stakes mark the corners of 2 x 2 meter excavation units. A photo scale place near a partially exposed everted rim jar in unit 44N 6W (NK-08-407) is in 5 centimeter increments. Ngre Kataa, 7 July, 2008.
In-progress excavations of adjacent 2 x 2 m units at Mound 148, Kuulo Kataa. The base of units 70E 48-52N and 72E 50N have been excavated to depths ranging from 90-110 cm below datum. The large area of dark soil concentrated in unit 70E 50N (center) is intrusive pit fill which cut through the living surface at this mound level. An area of packed reddish-orange laterite gravel in unit 70E 52N (bottom, left) likely represents a prepared floor surface. To the right of the dark pit soil, in the boundary between units 70E 50N and 70E 48N, is a an irregularly shaped burned feature interpreted by archaeologists as likely associated with metalworking. Two radiocarbon samples associated with this burned feature had calibrated age ranges between c.1200-1400 CE. A cluster of hearth stones has been exposed in nearby unit 72E 50N (center photo). White bags filled with soil samples collected for flotation sit outside the excavated area together with excavation equipment. View looking eastwards. Kuulo Kataa, 11 July, 2000.
Traced field drawing showing the stratigraphy of unit 2W 2S, Mound 101 at Kuulo Kataa. The profile map shows unit deposits as seen in the north wall of the excavation unit. Kuulo Kataa, 9 July, 1995.
Eight jar rims have been exposed in situ at the base of level 7, unit 0W 0S, Mound 5, Makala Kataa Station 6. The jar rims are broken off below the neck of the pot and appear to have been placed around a room where they were used as pot stands. In a raised area (bottom center), not excavated to the same depth as surrounding soil, a concentration of reddish soil and gravel marks the traces of a house wall. Archaeologists interpret unit 0W 0S as a part of a kitchen area where foodstuffs were likely stored. The pots and their contents have been removed, with only the pot stands remaining. In the background sits a headpan filled with soil from cleaning the 2 x 2 m unit prior to photoing. A scale arrow with 10 cm intervals points north. View to the west. Makala Kataa, 19 July, 1994.
Banda Research Project team members use a datum string, pulled tight and leveled with a bubble level, to measure the depth below datum of the excavation unit's surface. Yaw Francis (right) holds the string level as Yaw Frimpong (left) measures the depth close to the bubble level. By taking periodic measurements as they dig across the unit, they ensure that the surface of each completed level is even. A head pan and short handled hoe sit next to excavated dirt in the unit. Maria Dores Cruz (far left) and other team members work on an adjacent excavation unit on Mound 6, Station 6. Makala Kataa, 1994.
Field drawing showing the stratigraphy of unit 68E 4N, Mound 129 at Kuulo Kataa. The profile map depicts unit deposits as seen in the north wall of the excavation unit. Kuulo Kataa
West wall of excavation unit 55W 69N in Mound 102 at Kuulo Kataa. Topmost levels are characterized by dark soil that fades to brown below the area where rootlets are visible. A distinct boundary separates these brown soils from the gray ashy levels below. Mound 102 is a large deep midden mound which covers approximately 1600 m2 and rises several meters above the surrounding ground surface. A single 1 x 2 m unit was excavated to the base of level 13, after which a 1 x 1 m unit was excavated to almost 4 m, removing roughly 5 m3 of soil. Three radiocarbon samples from lower levels of the mound (3-3.5 m below the ground surface; not visible in this photo) had calibrated age ranges of c. 1400-1530 CE. Kuulo Kataa, 8 July, 2000.
In preparation for beginning excavation of a new 2 x 2 m unit, Banda Research Project team members Leith Smith (right) and Victor Mattey (left) extend grid points on Mound 6, Station 6, Makala Kataa. Smith uses a rock to pound in a grid peg at a point established using tape measures extended from previously placed grid pegs. The accuracy of the peg's location in this 2 m interval grid is checked according to horizontal (2 m) and diagonal (5.66 m) measurements from the other unit pegs. Low piles of sieved dirt from ongoing excavations are visible in the background. Makala Kataa, Station 6, 1994.
Banda Research Project team members Obimpeh Blopor (left) and Timothy Fordjour (right) carefully remove dry, compact soil from around a series of pot rims that are appearing in the base of level 6 in unit 0W 0S, Mound 5 at Makala Kataa Station 6. Obimpeh uses a cutlass and Fordjour a short handled hoe to loosen the dry soil. Another team member scoops the excavated soil into a headpan using a short handled hoe. A string with line level lies next to the iron rod that marks the unit datum. A trowel and tape measure rest nearby. Makala Kataa, Station 6, 1994.
Excavations in unit 42N 4W have exposed clusters of pottery, grinding stones, tuyeres and an area of burned soil associated with metal working at Mound 6, Ngre Kataa. Foreground, left, a grinding stone (GS 08-10) rests with its working surface face down. It sits at a slightly higher level than a nearby (left) whole pottery jar (NK 08-406). To the right of these, a partial pot (NK 08-282) and a tuyere fragment (NK 08-284) are clustered together with two halves of a broken pottery jar, lying with its exterior surface facing down. To the south (behind), near the sign board and framed by photo scales, is a burned feature. Next to it sits a hand-held hammerstone (GS 08-11). Another partial pottery jar (NK 08-520) and a small flat grinding stone (GS 08-12) have been exposed to the left of the sign board at 77 cm below the unit's datum. The narrow dark bands visible in the soil are the traces of animal burrows. Photo scale adjacent to the sign board in centimeters. View looking south. Site Ngre Kataa. 7 July 2008.
A twinned lost wax cast copper alloy figurine from Ngre Kataa, Mound 6, Unit 44N 6W, Feature 5 cluster. Archaeologists interpret the Feature 5 cluster as a shrine placed among metalworking facilities. Height: 5.9 cm. Weight: 31.3 g. Ngre Kataa, 19 July, 2008.
A deeply worn grinding stone (grindstone 1, NK-08-112) removed from levels 1-2, unit 44N 4W, Mound 6, Ngre Kataa, photographed at the side of the excavation unit. The grinding stone was found in association with other grinding stones, tuyere fragments and whole and partial pots. When found, the grinding stone was oriented with its working surface facing downward. It was located adjacent to a concentration of dark soil (feature 1) that contained abundant oxidized sediment, slag and broken pottery. Archaeologists interpret the features at Mound 6 as facilities used to make and process metals. Photo scale in 5 centimeter increments. Ngre Kataa, 2 July, 2008.
Photo of a pottery bowl rim and body, with profile depicted (left). The bowl's interior surface is decorated with lines of red paint applied in reticulate and pendant patterns. The rim of the bowl is slightly everted. A portion of the interior surface is blackened as an effect of firing. An INAA sample ("Banda 27-11") from this bowl was assigned to the "K2" group of ceramic fabrics. It was therefore likely made from clays mined east of the Banda hills. Rim diameter: 34 cm at exterior lip. Sherd represents an estimated 20% of the bowl's circumference. Scale in cm. Site Banda 27. 28 February, 2001.
Photo of a pottery bowl rim and body, exterior surface, with profile depicted (left). The rim of the bowl is slightly everted. The bowl's exterior is decorated with several bands of red paint, one applied below the angle of the rim, one mid-way down the bowl body, and one toward the base. Blackened areas of the exterior are a result of firing. An INAA sample ("Banda 27-11") from this bowl was assigned to the "K2" group of ceramic fabrics. It was therefore likely made from clays mined east of the Banda hills. Rim diameter: 34 cm at exterior lip. Sherd represents an estimated 20% of the bowl's circumference. Scale in cm. Banda 27. 28 February, 2001.
Photo of a pottery bowl rim, exterior surface, with profile depicted (left). The bowl is decorated with several shallow horizontal grooves above its angular carination. A row of vertical impressions marks the carination, below which is a zone of angled "dentate" impressions, bounded by a shallow groove at its lower edge. Traces of red paint appear on the upper portions of the bowl. An INAA sample ("Banda 27-1") from this bowl was assigned to the "K2" group of ceramic fabrics. It was therefore likely made from clays mined east of the Banda hills. Rim diameter: 20 cm at the interior lip. Sherd represents an estimated 15% of the bowl's circumference. Scale in cm. Site Banda 27. 29 January, 2001.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Banda 27, Mound 1, Unit 1, Level 3
Date:
2001-01-29
Location(s) Facet:
Site Banda 27
Subjects:
Dentate impression; Red paint; Bowl; Neutron Activation Analysis
The circular outline of a burned basin (Feature 3) is bracketed by photo scales (center) in unit 50N 4W (130 cm below the unit datum) at Mound 6. A pottery jar sits to the right side of the basin, its opening covered by a potsherd lid. To the left, a grinding stone sits, grinding surface down, over top of another pottery jar. Burned features like these were associated with metal working in this Mound 6 workshop area. Photo scale at bottom in centimeters. Site Ngre Kataa. 29 June, 2009.
The circular outline of a burned basin (Feature 3) is bracketed by photo scales (left of center) in unit 50N 4W (130 cm below the unit datum) at Mound 6. A pottery jar sits to the right side of the basin, its opening covered by a potsherd lid. To the left, a grinding stone sits, grinding surface down, over top of another pottery jar. Another grinding stone (far left) sits at a higher level in unit 50N 6W. A second burned feature is associated with a grinding stone tipped on its side, far right. Another pottery jar sits nearby, also lidded with a broken sherd. Burned features like these were associated with metal working in this Mound 6 workshop area. Photo scale at bottom in centimeters. Site Ngre Kataa. 29 June, 2009.
A finger ring made of twisted copper alloy wire is photographed in situ. Base of level 5, unit 44N 4W, Mound 6, Ngre Kataa. Scale in 5 centimeter increments. Ngre Kataa, 8 July, 2009.
A perforated pottery jar lidded with the pedestaled base of another pot sits in situ at the base of level 6, unit 46N 2W at Mound 6. The pot contained eight cowries and is interpreted by archaeologists as a shrine pot placed in association with metalworking facilities. Photo scale in 5 cm increments. Site Ngre Kataa. 24 June, 2009.
The mouth of a perforated shrine pot (left) is covered with the pedestaled base of another pot. It remains in situ as the surrounding areas of unit 46N 2W are excavated to lower levels. Behind, the stratified layers of Mound 6 are visible in the unit's north wall. Center (back) are a series of anvil and grinding stones exposed at higher mound levels in other excavation units. During excavations in 2008, a cluster of four anvil/grinding stones was found at a level slightly higher than but adjacent (left/west) to the perforated pot. At right, in lower levels, two grinding stones rest at an angle in association with a burned feature. Archaeologists interpret Mound 6 as a metallurgical workshop at which stratified levels built up through repeated use of the same location. Photo scale in centimeters. Site Ngre Kataa. 2 July, 2009.
A partially reconstructed everted-rim pottery jar excavated from Banda area site A-212, Mound 7, level 10. The jar's exterior surface is decorated below the neck with closely spaced rows of dentate (comb) impressions, intersected by a double diagonal line of dentate impressions. Double lines of dentate impression applied in a chevron pattern form a band between the upper zone of dentate decoration and jar's plain base. The jar's interior is finished with an orange-red slip. An INAA sample ("A212-16") from this jar and was assigned to the "G1" group of ceramic fabrics and therefore likely made west of the Banda hills. Rim diameter 24 cm at exterior lip. Photo scale in cm. Site A-212. 1 February, 2001.
Photo of a reconstructed carinate globular pottery jar, with profile depicted (left). The jar was found in an upright position beneath a lens of hardened clay, its rim at 211 cm below datum and its base at 224 cm bd. The jar's mouth is small. Below its lip is a ridge marked with vertical impressions. The surface above the carinated shoulder is decorated with alternating horizontal lines of dentate (comb) impression and grooving. Below the carination, the base and lower portions of the jar are decorated with a carved roulette impression. The interior surface of the jar is heavily eroded, perhaps an indication that the jar was used to store a fermented liquid like millet or sorghum beer. An INAA sample (NA "KK 95-61") from this jar was assigned to the "K1" group of ceramic fabrics. The jar was therefore likely made east of the Banda hills. A jar of similar form, decoration, and interior wear (KK 95-693) was found one meter away and at a slightly lower level in the east profile wall of the excavation unit. Rim diameter: 8 cm. Photo scale in cm. Kuulo Kataa. 13 June, 1995.
Photo of a patially reconstructed carinate globular pottery jar, with profile depicted (left). The jar was partially exposed, sitting upright in the east profile wall of the unit. The jar broke insitu and half of the vessel was removed and reconstructed. The jar has a narrow mouth. Alternating horizontal bands of shallow grooving and dentate (comb) impression decorate the area below the lip. A horizontal grooved line and a line of dentate (comb) impression applied above the carinated shoulder meet at small circular punctate impressions. The base and lower portions of the jar are decorated with a carved roulette impression. The interior surface of the jar is heavily eroded, perhaps an indication that the jar was used to store a fermented liquid like millet or sorghum beer. A jar of similar form, decoration and interior wear was found one meter away and at a slightly higher level in the same unit (KK 95-350). Rim diameter: 10 cm. 50% of vessel reconstructed. Photo scale in cm. Kuulo Kataa. 10 July, 1995.
Photo (interior) of a reconstructed carinate globular pottery jar, with profile depicted (left). The jar was partially exposed, sitting upright in the east profile wall of the unit. The jar broke insitu and half of the vessel was removed and reconstructed. The jar has a narrow mouth. The interior surface of the jar is heavily eroded, perhaps an indication that the jar was used to store a fermented liquid like millet or sorghum beer. A jar of similar form, decoration and interior wear was found one meter away and at a slightly higher level in the same unit (KK 95-350). Rim diameter: 10 cm. 50% of vessel reconstructed. Photo scale in cm. Kuulo Kataa. 10 July, 1995.
Photo of an inward-curving (recurved) jar rim sherd, with profile depicted (left). A zone of diagonally oriented dentate (comb) impressions is bounded on upper and lower edges by a shallow horizontal groove. A mica paint/slip was applied over top of the dentate impressions. The ceramic fabric was tempered with angular quartz grit. An INAA sample ("KK NA-29") was unassigned to a specific group of ceramic fabrics, lending no insight into where the jar was made. Interior neck diameter: 18 cm. Sherd represents an 12% of the jar's circumference. Scale in cm. Kuulo Kataa. 25 June, 1995.
Side view of a broken pottery sherd with a large slag inclusion. The use of crushed slag as a tempering material included in potting clay is first seen in pottery associated with Ngre phase sites in the Banda area. The use of crushed slag as a temper intensifies during Kuulo phase times, after which it becomes uncommon. Ngre Kataa, June, 2008.
Photo of an everted-rim jar excavated from Ngre Kataa, Mound 1, Unit 1, levels 3-6. The jar (Vessel 1) was found upside-down, resting on its rim and in association with a cluster of several other complete (Vessels 2 & 3) and broken pots in what has been interpreted as a kitchen area. The round-based jar is decorated on its lower surface by faint twisted cord-roulette impressions. The zone of cord rouletting is separated from the undecorated surface above by three arching grooves or channels. Multiple small circular punctates mark the place where grooved lines meet. Whole pot. Rim diameter c. 30 cm at exterior lip. Photo scale in cm. Site Ngre Kataa ("Banda 40"). 5 April, 2001.
Photo of a large pottery bowl. The rim is angled inward, creating a carination where the bowl's rim and body meet. Above the carination and around the rim's circumference, the exterior surface is decorated with shallow parallel grooves. The bowl's upper body is decorated with several clusters of triangular impressions which are bounded by angled pairs of grooved lines. The interior and exterior surfaces of the bowl are burnished, giving the bowl a slight sheen. A small pedestal stabilizes the bowl at its base. The bowl is consistent in shape and size with serving/eating bowls from which several individuals (typically men) would eat. The bowl was found positioned upside-down amid a concentration of other whole and partial pottery vessels, grinding stones, charred seeds and wide-spread fire-hardened soil. The context is interpreted as a kitchen area destroyed by an incident of intense fire. Whole pot. Scale in cm. Site Makala Kataa. 4 July, 1989.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Makala Kataa, Station 6, Mound 5, 4W 4S, Level 7-8
Photo of a small pedestal-base pottery bowl. The rim of the bowl is broken away around the entire circumference of the bowl. The exterior surface is burnished and decorated with several triangular impressions (not visible on the surfaces in this photo). The bowl is consistent in shape and size with serving/eating bowls from which an individual (typically a woman) would eat. The bowl was found in association with several other pots and a laterite hearthstone in an area surrounded by oxidized fire-hardened sediment. The wider context of the excavation unit is interpreted as a kitchen area destroyed by an incident of intense fire. Scale in cm. Site Makala Kataa. 11 July, 1989.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Makala Kataa, Station 6, Mound 5, Unit 0W 4S, Level 5
Photo of a dark brown pottery jar rim, neck and body, with profile depicted (left). The rim of the jar is everted in profile. Below the neck, the body of the jar is decorated with a carved roulette rolled across the surface to create a herringbone design. The zone of carved roulette impression is bounded by a horizontal shallow groove. A curvilinear groove cuts across the roulette impression. The ceramic fabric contained both laterite and white grit, as well as finely crushed iron slag. INAA analysis ("NA B-143-8") assigned this jar to the "K1" group, with the implication that it was likely made on the east side of the Banda hills. Rim diameter: 22 cm at interior lip. Sherd represents an estimated 25% of the circumference of the jar. Scale in cm. Site B-143. 14 March, 2001.
Photo of a red-painted and mica-slipped bowl rim, with profile depicted (left). Toward the lip, multiple horizontal bands of grooving and dentate (comb) impression are overlaid by red paint. Below this is a zone with horizontal lines of wavy line impression and grooving overlaid by a mica slip. The lower zone is red-painted. The ceramic fabric includes finely crushed white grit which includes some quartz. An INAA sample ("A94-8") was assigned to the "L" group, indicating that the bowl was made from clays mined west of the Banda hills. Rim diameter: 14 cm at the interior lip. Sherd represents an estimated 15% of the bowl's circumference. Scale in cm. Site A-94. 21 February, 2001.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Site A-94, Mound 2, Unit 1, Level 6
Date:
2001-02-21
Location(s) Facet:
Site A-94
Subjects:
Wavy line impression; Dentate impression; Red paint; Mica slip; Bowl; Neutron Activation Analysis
Photo of the rim and shoulder of a large pottery bowl, with profile depicted (left). The bowl's exterior is decorated with a herringbone design, created by rolling a carved wooden roulette across its entire surface, except for a narrow band just below the bowl's lip. A single diagonal shallow groove was applied across the surface above the shoulder. An INAA sample (NA "A212-8") from this bowl was "unassigned" to a specific group of ceramic fabrics, lending no insight into where the bowl was made. Rim diameter: 20 cm at the interior lip. Sherd represents about 11% of the bowl's circumference. Scale in cm. Site A-212. 18 February, 2001.
Photo of an everted-rim jar. The round-based pot is decorated on its lower surface by maize cob impressions, created by rolling a kernel-less maize cob over the pot's surface. The top edge of the maize-cob-rouletted zone is marked by pendant grooves or channels. Small circular punctates mark the place where pendant grooved lines meet. A single grooved line offsets this decorated zone from an undecorated zone below the jar's neck. Whole pot. Scale in cm. Site A-9. 1 Feb. 2001.
The new Ahenkro market building was built on the site where a majestic kapok tree shading the outdoor marketplace formerly stood. The tree was downed in a severe storm in 1999/2000, after which the weekly market was moved to a nearby village. The new building houses commercial kiosks and storefronts for rent. View of the market's south side. Ahenkro, June, 2016.
A light-colored slurry plaster marks the outlines of earthen walls exposed through excavations at Mound 7, Ngre Kataa. The upside down "T" shape shows the intersection of two walls. The vertically oriented wall is made from a lighter colored clayey soil compared to the darker horizontally oriented wall. Both walls were coated on the inside and outside with a thin plaster, appearing as a light-colored thin line exposed as archaeologists excavated the horizontal level. A red-and-white photo scale lies across one of the walls near a north arrow and a photo board with provenience information. Ngre Kataa, 6 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 7, Unit 12N 24E, 80 cm below datum
Photo of a carinated pottery bowl, with profile depicted (left). The bowl has a restricted opening with the rim rounded at the lip. Above the angular carination, the exterior surface is decorated with horizontal bands of wavy line impression, below which are two deep channels. Shallow grooves appear above and below narrow bands of dentate (comb) impressions. Below the carination, the exterior surface is decorated overall with a carved roulette impression. An INAA sample ("B123-2") from this bowl was assigned to the "L" group of ceramic fabrics. It was therefore likely made from clays mined west of the Banda hills. Rim diameter: 23 cm at the interior lip. Sherd represents an estimated 18% of the bowl's circumference. Scale in cm. Site B-123. 22 July, 2000.
Body sherds from a large jar. The exterior surface is decorated with bands of horizontal grooving, inside of which are bands of dentate (comb) impressions. Rows of dentate impression applied at an angle create a chevron design across the central zone. An overall red paint or slip finishes the surface. An INAA sample from this jar ("Banda 27-13") was assigned to the "K2" group of ceramic fabrics. It was therefore liked made from clays mined east of the Banda hills. Scale in cm. Site Banda 27. 1 March, 2001.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Banda 27, Mound 2, Unit 1, Level 16
Date:
2001-03-01
Subjects:
Red paint; Dentate impression; Jar; Neutron Activation Analysis
Photo of a buff-colored pottery bowl rim and carination, with profile depicted (left). The bowl is decorated with two shallow horizontal grooves, applied below the lip on the exterior surface. Below this is a band of shallow criss-cross incised lines, beneath which is a plain zone, followed by a more deeply incised band of criss-cross incisions, applied just above the exaggerated carination (angled shoulder). Based on patterned overlap in the criss-cross lines, the lines slanted upper left to lower right were made first, after which the lines slanted upper right to lower left were made. The exterior surface below the carination is undecorated. The ceramic fabric included some laterite grit as well as a small amount of finely crushed slag. An INAA sample from this bowl (NA "B143-2") was "unassigned" to a specific group, lending no insight into where the bowl was made. Rim diameter: 15 cm at interior lip. Sherd represents about 15% of the vessel's circumference. Scale in cm. Site B-143. 13 March, 2001.
A light-colored slurry plaster marks the outlines of earthen walls exposed through excavations at Mound 7, Ngre Kataa. View looking eastward. The L-shaped juncture where two walls intersect is visible (bottom). The interior and exterior of the walls were coated with a thin plaster, appearing as a light-colored thin line exposed by archaeologists as they dug down. A two-meter scale appears (left). To the right and outside the building is a cluster of stones, some perhaps used in food processing activities. Ngre Kataa, 6 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 7, Units 12N 24E and 12N 26E, 80 cm below datum
Date:
2009-06-06
Location(s) Facet:
Ngre Kataa
Subjects Facet:
Archaeology; Excavations (Archaeology); Building; Clay; Plastering; Walls; Grinding stone
A light-colored slurry plaster marks the outlines of earthen walls exposed through excavations at Mound 7, Ngre Kataa. View looking westward. The T-shaped juncture where two walls intersect is visible (center, top). The interior and exterior of the walls were coated with a thin plaster, appearing as a light-colored thin line exposed by archaeologists as they dug down. A two-meter scale appears (right) by a photo board. To the left and outside the building is a cluster of stones, some perhaps used in food processing activities. Ngre Kataa, 6 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 7, Units 12N 24E and 12N 26E, 80 cm below datum
A map showing the location of towns and villages in the Banda Traditional Area, Bono Region, Ghana.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2020-02-28
Location(s) Facet:
Banda
Subjects Facet:
Maps; Villages; Banda (Brong-Ahafo Region, Ghana)
Creator:
Desmond Roessingh
Language:
English
Date searchable:
2020-02-28
Genre:
Map; Maps
Genre Facet:
Map
Format:
Image
Location(s):
Banda, Ghana
Sketchfab Uid:
Commentary:
Technical note: Projection WGS 1984, UTM Zone 30N; Data sources: Ann Stahl (Banda border, point locations); Natural Earth (country boundaries); Humanitarian Data Exchange, Open Street Map (roads); DIVA GIS, Open Street Map (rivers and elevations)
A map showing the location of clay sources and selected archaeological sites in the Banda Traditional Area, Bono Region, Ghana. Many of these sources were used to mine clay for making pottery in centuries past. Noted in parentheses are the compositional groups to which clay sources have been assigned through Instrumental Neutron Activation Analysis. Groups "L" and "H2" are located to the west of the prominent line of hills that bisect the region. Group "K2" pits are located to the east of these hills.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2020-02-28
Location(s) Facet:
Banda
Subjects Facet:
Maps; Banda (Brong-Ahafo Region, Ghana); Clay mining; Pottery making
Creator:
Desmond Roessingh
Language:
English
Date searchable:
2020-02-28
Genre:
Map; Maps
Genre Facet:
Map
Format:
Image
Location(s):
Banda, Ghana
Sketchfab Uid:
Commentary:
Technical note: Projection WGS 1984, UTM Zone 30N; Data sources: Ann Stahl (Banda border, point locations); Natural Earth (country boundaries); Humanitarian Data Exchange, Open Street Map (roads); DIVA GIS, Open Street Map (rivers and elevations)
End view of a fired clay tuyere fragment used in an iron smelting furnace. A thick layer of slag produced during the smelting process coats the tuyere's outside surface (upper right). The tuyere was used to introduce air to the interior chamber of a smelting furnace. The tuyere was collected during site survey by N. Leith Smith in the course of his doctoral dissertation research. The tuyere was recovered in his survey area A, Site 7, Quad P14. Banda area, 8 February, 1997.
Iron slag is formed as a byproduct of iron smelting. Here a large slag nodule has broken in half, revealing its interior texture. At the archaeological site of Ngre Kataa, large chunks of 'bubbly' slag like this were occasionally found in household and other contexts, away from areas otherwise associated with metal-working activities. Potters at the time of the site's occupation had begun to use crushed iron slag as a tempering agent in their potting clays, which may explain why large nodules were being carried and cached in areas away from metal-working locations. Ngre Kataa, June, 2008.
A map showing the location of archaeological sites and their associated occupational phases in the Banda Traditional Area, Bono Region, Ghana. Occupational phases are part of a working chronology based on absolute dates (radiocarbon dates) and artifact sequences from excavated archaeological sites. Occupational phases of sites are shown in parentheses from earliest (1) to most recent in time (7).
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2020-02-28
Location(s) Facet:
Banda
Subjects Facet:
Maps; Banda (Brong-Ahafo Region, Ghana); Archaeology; Excavations (archaeology)
Creator:
Desmond Roessingh
Language:
English
Date searchable:
2020-02-28
Genre:
Map; Maps
Genre Facet:
Map
Format:
Image
Language Facet:
English
Location(s):
Banda, Ghana
Sketchfab Uid:
Commentary:
Technical note: Projection WGS 1984, UTM Zone 30N; Data sources: Ann Stahl (Banda border, point locations); Natural Earth (country boundaries); Humanitarian Data Exchange, Open Street Map (roads); DIVA GIS, Open Street Map (rivers and elevations)
Ann Stahl takes notes on excavation Unit 1, Mound 1 at Ngre Kataa ("Banda 40") in preparation for further excavation of the unit, originally opened in March 2001 by Leith Smith as part of a regional site testing project. A partially complete everted-rim jar ("Vessel 4"), oriented with its mouth down, is visible in the profile wall (left). Two trowels rest on the ground surface just above the jar. To the right on the ground surface is a Munsell Soil Color Charts book resting on top of a clip board and graph paper used to draw a profile map. Ngre Kataa, 19 June, 2001.
A typical side road leading to villages off the then-main road that connected Menji to Ahenkro in the Banda area. Tall grass lines the narrow track which was primarily used by lorries which transported agricultural products. December, 1982.
Side view of a fired clay tuyere fragment used in an iron smelting furnace. A thick layer of slag produced during the smelting process coats the tuyere's outside surface. The tuyere was used to introduce air to the interior chamber of a smelting furnace. The tuyere was collected during site survey by N. Leith Smith in the course of his doctoral dissertation research. The tuyere was recovered in his survey area A, Site 7, Quad P14. A catalog tag indicating provenience information is tied to the tuyere with string. Banda area, 8 February, 1997.
Insitu pottery and iron artifacts associated with clusters B and C of what archaeologists interpret as a shrine (clusters A-D) which capped stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Far left in unit 48N 10W, the flat surface of an anvil/grinding stone (GS 09-32) is exposed, to the left (west) of which a poorly preserved portion of an elephant tusk was found (now removed). To the right (east) of the large stone is Cluster B, which includes the group of sherds seen in the vertical exposure in front and left (west) of the tree stump. Behind the tree stump is a large cluster (C) of pottery lids, partial pots and iron objects. Photo scale marked in 5 cm increments. View looking towards northwest. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 June 2009.
Insitu pottery and iron artifacts associated with clusters B-D of what archaeologists interpret as a shrine (clusters A-D) which capped stratified deposits in a metallurgical workshop. Bottom left, at the base of a balk supporting the unit peg, is cluster D, comprised of two stones flanking an iron disc, laid flat (SF 09-158), and a tri-looped iron bangle (SF 09-159). In front and left (east) of the tree stump is a large cluster (C) of pottery lids, partial pots and iron objects, including an iron bangle (SF 09-148) and a pair of miniature iron manacles (SF 09-171, "B"-shaped object). To the right (west) of the tree stump, another cluster of pottery and iron objects can be seen. Top right of the photo, a yellow notebook rests on top of an anvil/grinding stone (GS 09-32), next to which rested a poorly preserved section of an elephant ivory tusk. North arrow photo scale marked in 5 cm increments, arrow pointing north. View looking towards southwest. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 June 2009.
The Ewe fishermen who supplied local and regional markets with freshwater fish from the Black Volta River traveled in locally made wooden canoes. Several are moored on the south bank of the river near the Dam Site settlement, a short distance downstream from the projected site of the Bui Dam. Dam Site, 7 October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
1982-10-07
Location(s) Facet:
Dam Site
Subjects:
Dam Site
Subjects Facet:
Fishing; Canoes; Ewe (African people); Black Volta River; Rivers
Photo of an everted-rim pottery jar excavated from Ngre Kataa, Mound 4, Unit 1, Levels 5-6. The jar (Vessel 1) was located in the north profile wall of the unit, together with another vessel (Vessel 2).
The jar has a carinated shoulder and a rounded base. To the right and below the carination, a portion of the exterior surface has broken away. The upper area of the jar is decorated with three horizontal grooved lines, inbetween which are lines of dentate impression. Just above the carination is another line of dentate impression and a grooved line. To the left and right, on the upper side of the carination, sets of two triangular designs were applied, consisting of three punctates connected by two short grooved lines. The area inside the triangle is marked by crossed dentate impressions, forming an "X" inside the triangle. This design was repeated twice on the recovered portion of the jar. It was likely repeated a third time on the missing portion. Below the carination are two shallow horizontal grooves. The jar's base is smooth, with no surface treatment applied. Roughly 65% of the vessel was recovered. Rim diameter 25 cm at exterior lip. Photo scale in cm. Site Ngre Kataa ("Banda 40"). 5 April, 2001.