A pottery lid (NK 09-626) is positioned vertically with its interior surface facing south. Above it (slightly right) is a poorly preserved, friable dog skull. A large tree root has been truncated above and left of the pot lid. Beneath the lid is an iron bangle (SF 09-219), angled upward. The bangle is pressed up against a dog mandible, which has been placed at a diagonal angle below the pot lid, its mandibular joint oriented upward. Several teeth remain in the mandible. A burned feature can be seen immediately below this assemblage of objects. This cluster (B, 11) was part of a larger set of clusters (A-D) that archaeologists interpret as a shrine in a metallurgical workshop. Photo scale at top in cm. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 16 June 2009.
A fragmented pottery lid (NK 09-626) is positioned vertically with its interior surface facing south. A large tree root is visible behind the lid, below the sign board. A dog cranium positioned above and an iron bangle placed below the lid have been removed. Additional excavation has exposed several pottery rim sherds below a dog mandible, which is positioned diagonally below the pot lid with its mandibular joint oriented upward. Several teeth remain in the mandible. A second less well-preserved dog mandible has been exposed below this. A burned feature can be seen immediately below this assemblage of objects. This cluster (B, 11) was part of a larger set of clusters (A-D) that archaeologists interpret as a shrine in a metallurgical workshop. Photo scale marked in 5 cm increments. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 30 June 2009.
A pottery lid (NK 9 09-626) is positioned vertically with its interior surface facing south. Above it (slightly right) is a poorly preserved, friable dog skull. A large tree root has been truncated above and left of the pot lid. Beneath the lid is an iron bangle (SF 09-219), angled upward. The bangle is pressed up against a dog mandible, which has been placed at a diagonal angle below the pot lid, its mandibular joint oriented upward. Several teeth remain in the mandible. A burned feature can be seen immediately below this assemblage of objects. This cluster (B, 11) was part of a larger set of clusters (A-D) that archaeologists interpret as a shrine in a metallurgical workshop. Photo scale at top in cm. Arrow pointing north. Site Ngre Kataa. 16 June 2009.
Excavation of a shrine cluster, two images. The image on left shows a pottery cluster, first exposed in June 2008, as it appeared on 10 June 2009. At bottom center of this image is a pedestal base, above which is a tight cluster of rim sherds. The curved sherd on the far right in this image is the outer edge of the pedestal-handled lid, which is fully exposed in the photo on the right, taken on 16 June 2009. A dog skull in a highly friable state is visible above and to the right of this lid in both photos. In the imgae on the right, an iron bangle (SF 09-219) can be seen resting in an angled position, below and left of which is a dog mandible. These were uncovered by excavation below and behind the pedestal base seen in the picture on the left. Photo scale marked in 5 cm increments. Site Ngre Kataa. 10 and 16 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.
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.
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.
Archaeologist Ben Nutor uses a trowel to scrape soil from around a cluster of objects that archaeologists interpret as a shrine feature (cluster A) in a metallurgical workshop (mound 6). An orange flag marks the location of an iron bangle (SF 08-140), the first of four that were found surrounding the large pottery bowl (NK 08-522) seen partially exposed in front of Nutor. An iron headpan used to carry dirt for screening sits nearby. Site Ngre Kataa. 9 July 2008.
Yaw Frimpong uses a short-handled hoe with a wide blade to loosen and remove soil from an excavation unit (46N 8W) in mound 6 at Ngre Kataa. A second short-handled hoe with a narrower, thicker blade rests on the ground (foreground). To the right, colored flags mark artifacts previously excavated by Ben Nutour using a trowel and left insitu. Foreground is a coiled iron bangle/bracelet (SF 08-140), behind which is a partial large pottery bowl. Further excavations yielded a concentration of iron bangles and other objects suggestive of a shrine cluster in this and adjacent excavation units at mound 6. Ngre Kataa, 9 July 2008.
Members of the 2009 archaeological excavation team at Ngre Kataa. Team members included graduate students from the University of Ghana and North America, a representative of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board and Banda men from Ahenkro and Nyrie. Back row (L-R): David Adjartey Tei-Mensah, Peter, Frimpong, Enoch Mensah, Yaw Mensah, Yaw Francis, Devin Tepleski. Middle row (L-R): Amanda Logan, Sampson Fordjour, Kofi Paul, Felix Ochra, Yaw Frimpong; J.K. Mensah; Kofi "Photo" Manu; Ann Stahl, Kwakye Eric, Frank, Kofi Nsia; Front, seated (L-R): Abass Iddrisu, Osei Kofi, Andrew Gurstelle (kneeling). 9 July, 2009, Ngre Kataa.