Villages of Ewe families who made their livelihood through fishing lined the banks of the Black Volta River on its northern and southern shores during the 20th century. Viewed here from the south bank, looking northward from Agbegikrom South, is the fishing village of Agbegikrom North. Because their homes were located a short distance downstream from the site of Bui Dam, villagers in both settlements were relocated beginning in 2008 as construction on the dam began. Agbegikrom North, 7 October, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Agbegikrom North
Subjects:
Relocation
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Black Volta River; Fishing villages; Ewe (African people); Housing
The exterior wall of an atakpame (coursed earth) house. Atakpame is a technique for building durable earthen walls that can stand for many decades. The thatched roof is supported by interior and exterior posts and does not rest on the walls. When covered by well-maintained thatched roofs, the walls are protected from erosion by rain. A goat walks on the street outside. Makala, July, 1994.
A courtyard house on the north side of Makala's main street. The atakpame (coursed earth) walls of the street-facing porch are plastered. The house compound's roofs and those of neighboring houses are thatched. The broad street in front of the house is clear of vegetation. Makala, June-July, 1990.
Irene Mensah, a member of the Banda Heritage Initiative Local Committee, uses a camcorder to shoot video footage in Boase during a visit by the Local Committee to document the songs and dances of Nafana puberty (Manaa Ndiom) and marriage (Bijam) ceremonies. She volunteered to join the Local Committee after hearing her grandfather tell stories of the area's past during an interview. To the right, a group of young people are gathered near a small kiosk which is surrounded by a bicycle, a motorcycle and a motorized three-wheeled cart. Metal-roofed houses line the main street. Boase, 11 November, 2018.
The exterior of a compound house made of adjoining rooms oriented around a rectangular courtyard. These were often built over time, with rooms added as needed, gradually enclosing the interior courtyard. The compound in this photo is open on one side, rooms surrounding the other three sides of the courtyard. Atakpame walls are visible as are the gabled thatched roofs that protect walls from erosion by rain. Makala, July, 1994.
Houses with metal roofs are interspersed with thatch-roofed dwellings. The house to the left has a partially constructed atakpame (coursed-earth) room in progress. To the right of this, a stand of maize (corn, bledju in Nafaanra) grows, protected from foraging goats by a hedge. The young boy, foreground, wears a school uniform. Makala, June-July, 1990.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Makala
Subjects:
Atakpame; Maize
Subjects Facet:
Gardens; Thatched roofs; Metal roofing; Corn; Housing; Building, Clay; Villages
A group of children gather for a photo on Makala's main street. The contemporary village was established in the 1920s when a British colonial District Officer implemented a "village planning" scheme. New villages were laid out next to existing settlements, and old villages abandoned. The new villages were laid out on a grid pattern, as seen here in the wide main street. The old village (Makala Kataa) was located in the wooded area at the end of this street. Archaeological excavations (1989, 1990 and 1994) at Early and Late Makala Kataa have revealed much about daily life of Banda villagers in the late 18th and 19th centuries. See below for a link to a guiding 1902 Gold Coast Colony Ordinance, "Rules with Respect to Regulation of Towns and Villages." Makala, June-July, 1990.
Houses along the main street of Wewa. Doorways lead to interior courtyards of these compounds. Walls are made primarily using an atakpame (coursed earth) technique, though the pillared verandah wall (far right) was made with sun-dried bricks. Part of the roof of the near compound has recently been re-thatched. The streets and houses are kept clear of grass and other plants. Wewa, December, 1982.
A partially enclosed courtyard area of a house, with wall stubs of a collapsed room (right). One set of rooms was built with sun-dried blocks, then plastered and roofed with metal sheets. The other building is also plastered, but roofed with thatch. Two hearths are located in the courtyard and each building has a metal barrel used to store water. A headpan filled calabash bowls (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) sits near one water barrel. A wooden mortar (left) is turned upside down, likely to protect it from foraging goats. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
Unlike atakpame (coursed earth technique of building), wattle-and-daub structures can be built quickly. The structure has a frame of horizontal and vertical poles, into which molded earthen balls are pressed to create walls. Whereas atakpame must be allowed to dry thoroughly before the next course is added, the "wattle" framing allows the "daub" to be placed and the walls completed without waiting for lower levels to dry. Ahenkro, December, 1982.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Atakpame
Subjects Facet:
Thatched roofs; Wattle and daub; Building, Clay; Housing
The courtyard of a long-established compound in Ahenkro. The main room has a columned verandah and its walls are plastered. A metal roof covers it and the courtyard entrance. A hearth occupies the central courtyard. Two metal water barrels (right and left), headpans and a bucket speak to the daily activity of fetching water. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Metal pots; Headpans; Water barrels
Subjects Facet:
Plastering; Building; Metal roofing; Courtyards; Water; Housing; Hearths
The courtyard kitchen area of a partially enclosed compound has two hearths with cooking equipment placed around. Several low stools and a wooden chair sit among metal pots, calabashes (gourds) and other kitchen items. A mortar and a basket sit to the right. A stack of dried blocks (right, rear) suggests that an addition to the compound is planned. More blocks are stored inside the open room whose wooden door has been removed. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
While many houses take the form of compounds, people may build stand-alone structures that might later be added on to, creating an enclosed courtyard. Here, one side of the building is wattle-and-daub construction, the other side made by an atakpame (coursed earth) technique and later plastered. The wattle-and-daub technique allows walls to be built quickly, the frame ("wattle") allowing the daub to be placed without the need to let lower levels of the wall dry before adding upper levels. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Atakpame
Subjects Facet:
Plastering; Thatched roofs; Wattle and daub; Building, Clay; Housing
The exterior wall of a compound built with sun-dried bricks. The varying sizes of the bricks suggest that rooms may have been added at different times. An entrance to the compound midway along the wall has been filled in with smaller blocks or atakpame. Goats find shelter from the heat of the day beneath the roof's thatched overhang. Ahenkro, August, 1986.
Women of Kafͻnͻ Katoo gather around multiple hearths in the compound's courtyard preparing the day's main meal. Kitchen equipment ranging from locally made pottery, metal pots, sieving baskets and headpans are visible. The women sit on low stools, some carved and others made from sawn boards. Posts surrounding several hearths create a rack for storing items. Thatch - and metal-roofed rooms surround the courtyard. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
Several men work together to replace thatch on the roof of Kafͻnͻ (Kafono) Katoo. Part of the compound has a metal roof, and the building's exterior walls are richly decorated. The bicycle pictured on the wall belonged to an Elder in the house. It is said to have been the first bicycle in Banda. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
An educational poster with pictures and text focused on how past people in the Banda area housed their families. It describes what has been learned from archaeological excavations about how people built houses in the past and recent changes in housing. It is one of five posters prepared for a Banda community event held in 2014. Printed versions of the posters are housed in the Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Banda
Subjects:
Atakpame; Community engagement; Poster
Subjects Facet:
Dwellings--Maintenance and repair; Housing; Heritage
Kitchen area in the center of a courtyard house, with a large wooden mortar visible in the foreground. Women and youngsters are seated near hearths with a variety of serving and cooking vessels made of basketry, metal, calabash and plastic placed around the courtyard. The large metal drum in the background is used for water storage. Makala, June-July, 1990.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Makala
Subjects:
Metal pots; Water barrels; Plastic containers; Headpans
A view of Makala's wide main street, standing under a mango tree at the east end of town looking westward. Houses with thatched roofs line the main street, with a metal-roofed house visible to the right. Makala, June-July, 1990.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Makala
Subjects:
Mango tree
Subjects Facet:
Thatched roofs; Metal roofing; Streets; Housing; Villages
Several young men gather outside of Kafͻnͻ (Kafono) Katoo under the shade of a small thatched shelter. They are looking at a binder of photos that includes pictures of their family house taken in 1986 when its roof was being re-thatched. At that time the house was decorated with a painting of a bicycle, reputed to be the first bicycle in Banda. Ahenkro, 1 September, 2018.
A view of Makala's wide main street, standing at the west edge of town, looking eastward. A mango tree grows in the street at the far end of the street. Atakpame (coursed earthen-walled) houses with thatched roofs line the street. The streets and areas around houses are kept clear of plants. Enoch Mensah (left) and Andy Black (right) stroll down the street after a day of work at Makala Kataa, the archaeological site located immediately west of Makala. Wide main streets like this one were was established in the 1920s when a British colonial District Officer implemented a "village planning" scheme. New villages were laid out next to existing settlements, and old villages abandoned as people relocated. The new villages were laid out on a grid pattern oriented by a wide main street. Archaeological excavations (1989, 1990 and 1994) at the old village site (Makala Kataa) have revealed much about daily life of Banda villagers in the late 18th and 19th centuries. See below for a link to a the 1902 Gold Coast Colony Ordinance that prompted these relocations: "Rules with Respect to Regulation of Towns and Villages." Makala, June-July, 1990. Makala, June-July, 1990.
Makala as viewed from the southwest edge of town, looking northwest. A metal-roofed atakpame (coursed earthen-walled) courtyard house is in the foreground, with thatched-roof buildings visible beyond. The Banda hills rise in the background. Paths cut through the plants that grow up to village's edge. Makala, June-July, 1990.
A woman sifts flour in the foreground as two women in the background pound maize (corn, bledju in Nafaanra) in wooden mortars. The women are sheltered from the sun by the thatched roof that covers this entrance to the house compound. View to the street beyond. Makala, July, 1994.
Exterior wall of a compound house covered by a thatched roof. The coursed earth (atakpame) wall was built in stages as rooms were added. An exterior roof support pole is visible to the left. A coconut palm, an unusual tree in this area of savanna woodland far from the coast, is visible in the background. Houses and surrounding streets are kept clear of grass and other plants. Makala, July 1994.
Large stones, some used as grindstones, are placed about the corner of this courtyard. Groundnut (peanut, boŋgrɛ in Nafaanra) shells lay on the ground at the feet of a child. A carved wooden stool appears alongside stools made from sawed boards, the latter typical of those taken to school by children each day and those used by women as they sit hearth-side while cooking. Two calabash bowls (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) sit nearby. Makala, July, 1994.
Approach to Bui village by road from the south seen in a series of five photos panning from north (001) to northeast (005). The mountain behind the village is part of the range associated with the Bui Dam. Bui villagers were relocated in advance of flooding caused by dam construction that inundated the village seen here. Five photos. Bui, June, 2009.
Assisted by his son (Wayo Fordjour), a skilled builder (Akwasi Nyua Tonyaa) shapes balls of atakpame as he prepares to add another course to the walls of a house under construction. Each course must be allowed to dry gradually before the next is added in order to create a strong wall. Calabash bowls (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) used by the builder sit nearby. Two photos. Dompofie, September, 1982.
The walls of an atakpame (coursed-earth) structure drying before the next course of earthen building material is added. Behind, to the left, a block constructed building in progress and houses with metal roofs. Dompofie, September, 1982.
A skilled builder (Akwasi Nyua Tonyaa) places atakpame balls on the previously laid and dried course of earthen wall. He carefully molds the moist earthen ball to the dry course to ensure a strong wall. Dompofie, September, 1982.
An educational poster with pictures and text which describes Banda-area village life in the early decades of British colonial rule. It briefly outlines changes brought into effect by British colonial officers. It also describes housing and colonial-period artifacts based on archaeological excavations at Makala Kataa. It is one of five posters prepared for a Banda community event held in July, 2011. Printed versions of the posters are housed in the Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro.
Photo of the exterior wall of the Kafͻnͻ Katoo compound in Ahenkro. The wall now occupied by a lace-curtained window was formerly a solid wall on which the image of a bicycle was painted, said to be the first bicycle in Banda and photographed in 1986. Other areas of the exterior wall were previously decorated with inscribed and painted geometric designs, the outlines of which can still be seen in the closeup image of the wall included here. The entire building is roofed with metal. A ewe and her lamb pass by in front of the house. Ahenkro, 1 September, 2018.
Kitchen area of a household in Dorbour. Several hearths are clustered in the center of the open courtyard surrounded by low wooden stools. Several wooden mortars of varying sizes and a number of pestles are clustered along a porch. Pottery and metal pots used in cooking are near the hearth. A goat forages for food amid the hearths. Large vessels to the far left store liquid (water, or possibly pito, locally made beer). The courtyard is surrounded by thatch- and metal-roofed rooms. Dorbour, 1994.
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.
This short video made from video footage shot by Patrick Mensah and still images by Dr. Ann Stahl shows some processes of roof thatching in the Banda area. Original still images are available in the Banda Through Time Repository. Banda, 1982-2019. Length: 2:26 minutes.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Date:
2020
Location(s) Facet:
Banda
Subjects Facet:
Roofing; Thatched roofs; Dwellings--Maintenance and repair; Housing; Repairing
Creator:
Holly Marsh
Contributors:
Dr. Ann B. Stahl; Patrick Mensah
Language:
English
Date searchable:
1982-2019
Genre:
Digital video
Genre Facet:
Digital video
Format:
Video
Language Facet:
English
Location(s):
Banda
Sketchfab Uid:
Commentary:
Video made from still images and video footage in Adobe Premiere Pro.