Narrow-necked clay jars like these were ideal for storing water. The exterior surface of these water jars (chͻkoo in Nafaanra) has been textured by rolling a twisted cord-wrapped stick (jar on the left) or a maize cob (jar on the right) across the surface and otherwise decorated with shallow grooved lines. The narrow opening inhibits evaporation while the porous fired clay walls keep the water cool. Bondakile, 1994.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bondakile
Subjects:
Water pots (chokoo); Jars; Twisted cord roulette; Maize cob roulette; Water storage
Potters in Adadiem make clay jars in a variety of sizes. Those pictured here have been fired, some treated with bark solution while still hot from the bonfire firing. Adadiem, 1994.
Ten clay cooking pots (sro chͻ in Nafaanra) have been placed upside down on a bed of firewood in preparation for a bonfire that will fire the clay pots. These pots have been red-slipped (chuma in Nafaanra) before firing. In the background is the bark that will be used to cover and surround the pottery before the bonfire is lit. Once lit, the fire burns for beween 30 minutes and an hour, after which the clay jars will be useable and ready for sale. Dorbour, 1994.
A number of large and medium-sized clay jars have been placed upside down on a bed of fire wood in preparation for a bonfire firing. Several previously fired and broken clay pots together with large stones are used to bank the edges of the stacked firewood. More firewood is stacked behind the bonfire area. Adadiem, 1994.
A calabash bowl (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) containing water rests on top of a small pedestaled clay bowl (kontoŋdԑԑ in Nafaanra) used in funeral celebrations. The clay bowl is used by women to present food to the ancestors (sro waa in Nafaanra). Calabash rattles used in funeral celebrations sit nearby, some next to a basket. Dorbour, 1994.
Small clay eating bowls like this one (kpokpoo in Nafaanra) were typically used by women. This one has been blackened after a fashion that became popular in the 20th century. Similar bowls are found on archaeological sites around the Banda area, though often with a flat, pedestaled base and seldom blackened. Dorbour, 1994.
Large, shallow blackened clay bowls with interior striations are used in cooking and for eating. Cooks use them together with a small double-sided wooden pestle to grind pepper and cooked vegetables like "garden eggs" (small eggplants) for soups. They are also used as men's eating bowls (pԑԑ in Nafaanra). Bowls with striated interiors are occasionally found on archaeological sites in the Banda area, but this particular blackened form was not common until the 20th century when it was introduced from areas to the south. Potters in the region began to produce the bowls for sale both locally and at regional markets and by the 1980s and 1990s, this one of the most popular pots made for market sale. Ahenkro, 1986.
Clay pots of this shape are used for cooking soup over a hearth fire. The relatively wide opening of soup pots (chiin sinyjͻlͻ in Nafaanra) makes it easy to add ingredients and stir the soup as it cooks. These soup pots are blackened, a fashion that took hold during the 20th century. Unblackened pots of similar shape are found on archaeological sites dating to the 19th century and earlier. Dorbour, 1994.
A metal headpan is loaded with clay pots ready to take to market. The darkened angular pots placed around the inside edges of the headpan are soup pots (chiin sinyjͻlͻ in Nafaanra) and the rounder shaped pots are for cooking starchy staples (sro chͻ in Nafaanra). Dorbour, 1994.
Afua Donkor, a Nafana potter, inspects clay jars of various shapes and sizes that await firing. The liquid red slip (chuma in Nafaanra) has been applied, allowed to dry and then burnished in prepartion for firing. Visible around the courtyard are wooden mortars, a pestle and a metal cooking pot. Thatch-roofed rooms surround the courtyard. Dorbour, 1994.
Sharply angled (carinated) clay pots like this one may have been used for storing liquids. Chipping around the rim of the pots suggest that this one may have been used for some time. Dorbour, 1994.
Large, shallow blackened clay bowls with interior striations are used in cooking and for eating. They are used together with a small double-sided wooden pestle to grind pepper and vegetables like "garden eggs" (small eggplants) when making soups. These bowls may also be used as men's eating bowls (pԑԑ in Nafaanra). Though archaeological sites occasionally have potsherds with striated interiors, this particular blackened bowl form was not common until the 20th century when it was introduced from areas to the south. Potters in the region began to produce the bowls for sale both locally and at regional markets. By the 1980s and 1990s, this was one of the most popular pots made for market sale. Ahenkro, 1986.
Storing pots (jloŋgo in Nafaanra) like these were formerly used to store drinks like pito (sorghum beer) or wenyjͻ nyumu (water boiled in a pot after it has been used to make "TZ," a starchy staple). The one on the left has been blackened while that on the right may have been treated with a red slip (chuma in Nafaanra). Both are highly burnished, giving them a glossy look. Dorbour, 1994.
Fired, blackened clay grinding bowls are stacked (center). While hot from the fire, the bowls have been blackened by rolling them in dry grass or peanut (boŋgrɛ in Nafaanra) shells. To the right, a bonfire firing is in progress. The outside perimeter of the fire is banked with previously fired but broken jars. To the left, a large clay bowl contains a bark solution into which the pots are dipped while still hot from the fire. Behind that, another bonfire burns. To the right (back, center) pots have been stacked in preparation for another bonfire firing. The fashion of blackening grinding bowls began in the Banda area sometime during the 20th century. Adadiem, 1994.
These fired clay pots are specifically designed for water storage. The water jar (chͻkoo in Nafaanra) on the left was made in Adadiem and the one on the right was made by a potter in Dorbour. Unlike pottery intended for other uses, potters do not finish pots intended for water storage in a bark solution to seal and color the pot. Instead, the surface of water storage pots needs to be porous to effectively cool the water stored inside. The size of the water jar's mouth allows access to the water inside but also limits evaporation. The color of these pots is a result of firing conditions. Dorbour, 1994.
Women in the house of Brɛmawuo work together to prepare the main meal of the day. The wives of the house sit on low wooden stools as they prepare food at clustered hearths. Each hearth is made of three laterite stones which hold the cooking pot above the fire. The women use an array of metal cooking vessels, calabash bowls (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) and a clay pot (on the front hearth). The clay pot was likely purchased from one of the potting villages on the west of the Banda hills. Beneath the thatched roof behind the women are hearths used during rainy weather. This house was revisited in November 2018 and several of the women pictured here were interviewed about how foodways have changed over the three decades since this photo was taken. Among the women pictured are (L-R) Adwoa Hana (stirring), Yaa Yaa Dankwa (Stirring), Ama Nwotwenwaa (holding a calabash), Abena Kuma, (standing in blue cloth) and Ama Mensah (standing in red cloth). Sabiye, 15 August 1986.
Varied sizes of clay jars are stacked in the corner of a room inside a house. The adjacent wall is decorated with enamel-ware lids and plates. Several metal cooking pots and a wooden paddle used to stir food sit around the clay pots. Jneni, 1994.
The New Yam Festival (Finjie Lie in Nafaanra) marks the day when people can begin to eat the new crop of yams (finyjie in Nafaanra). Here women gather round a wooden mortar to pound cooked yam tubers to make fufu. Women pound with heavy, round-ended pestles. Working together, they use their pestles to pound and turn the fufu. Pestles hit the mortar's edge as they pound, creating a rhythmic accompaniment to their work. The musical sound of women and their helpers pounding fufu or grain was an integral part of the soundscape of village life in the earlier times. To the rear (right) calabashes (gourds, chrԑ in Nafaanra) wrapped in netting are ready to be sent to market. To the front sits a pottery grinding bowl (left), a calabash (center) and metal cooking pots (right). Ahenkro, 30 August, 1982.
Potters in Adadiem place bark over clay pots that have been stacked on top of a bed of firewood. The bonfire has been lit and the bark serves as additional fuel. More red-slipped clay pots sit behind, waiting for the next firing. One woman carries a child on her back. The bonfire will burn for between 30 minutes and an hour, after which the pots will be ready for use or sale. Abena Donkor (far right) assists while Solomon Kojo, young boy in brown shorts, looks on. Two photos. Adadiem, 1994.
Afua Donkor, a Nafana potter, selects and places fuel as she prepares to fire clay soup pots (chiin sinyjͻlͻ in Nafaanra) that have been slipped red. Other clay pots sit nearby awaiting firing, some in a headpan. The pots are carefully stacked on top of the wood and additional fuel placed on top. Additional firewood is stacked behind and in front lays the bark that she will use to cover the clay pots before lighting the bonefire. Once lit, the bonfire will burn for between 30 and 60 minutes, after which the fired pottery will be hardened, useable and ready for sale. Two photos. Dorbour, 1994.
Hearths in a Dorbour household. One of three visible hearths is in use, a metal cooking pot suspended over a fire fueled by firewood. A wooden mortar and several pestles are at ready in the background. In the foreground (right) a clay cooking pot rests on top of a metal basin that has been re-purposed as a pot stand. A large metal pot, a calabash bowl (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) and a plastic cup sit behind the clay pot. Dorbour, 1994.
A courtyard hearth in a Dorbour household. The hearth "stones" are clay pots turned upside down and embedded in the ground. A pottery cooking jar rests on the hearth, the firewood pulled away from the hearth while it is not in use. A metal cooking pot and headpan have caught the interest of a foraging goat. Dorbour, 1994.
Potters and their helpers place hot clay jars, just removed from the bonfire, into a solution made from pounded tree bark. They use their long wooden poles to carry the pots to large pottery bowls containing the bark solution. They dip and turn the pot in the solution, allowing it to carbonize on the surface of the hot jar. This finishing step colors the jar's surface and makes its walls less porous which is said to improve its cooking performance. The remains of the bonfire, banked by previously fired broken pots, can be seen in the rear center. Four photos. Bondakile, October, 1982.
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.
These partially formed clay jars (chͻ in Nafaanra) are drying, resting on the palette (kpankpa in Nafaanra) on which they were formed. Once dried to a leather-hard state, the potter removes them from the plate and, using fresh moist clay, adds a rounded base to the jar. To the left, a metal cooking vessel rests nearby. Bondakile, October, 1982.
A toddler girl wearing a protective strand of beads sits beside finished clay grinding bowls that have been set aside to continue drying before firing. The scoring on the interior of the bowl provides a rough surface against which cooked vegetables can be ground into a paste before being added to a soup. These bowls may also serve as men's eating bowls (pԑԑ in Nafaanra). Bondakile, October, 1982.
Banda Research Project team member Ann Stahl sorts pottery sherds recovered through excavations at Makala Kataa. Once sorted, she will prepare an inventory of sherd forms and decorations. A group of children have gathered and look on. Ahenkro, 1990.
Banda Research Project team members Courtney Amos (left) and Molly Sugrue (right) process artifact bags containing pottery at the Banda Cultural Centre. Ahenkro, July, 2001.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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 partial rim and neck of a mica- and red-slipped everted jar, with vessel profile depicted, left. Red slip has been applied to the rim. Overall mica slip covers the area from the neck down. The neck area is decorated with closely spaced horizontal grooves, with mica slip applied over top. A row of dentate (comb) impression marks the transition to a mica-slipped, but otherwise undecorated, body. INAA sample ("Banda 40-11") assigned to the "L" group of ceramic fabrics; therefore, likely made from clays mined west of the Banda hills. Rim diameter 24 cm at exterior lip. Neck diameter 16 cm at interior constriction. Scale in cm. Ngre Kataa (Banda 40), 30 March, 2001.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution--NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Provenance:
Ngre Kataa, Mound 4, Unit 1, Level 27
Date:
2001-03-30
Location(s) Facet:
Ngre Kataa
Subjects:
Mica slip; Red slip; Dentate impression; Jar; Neutron Activation Analysis
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.
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.