Controlled fire has long been used as a way to improve forage for animals, aid hunting, and amend soil nutrients. Here a controlled burn within Bui National Park is visible on the mountainside west of Ahenkro. The town's thatch-roofed market stands are visible (right) as are branches of the majestic kapok tree that once shaded the market on the south edge of town. Thatched roofs could easily catch fire and Ahenkro suffered major fires several times during the 20th century. Ahenkro, December, 1982.
Controlled fires burn in the hills behind Banda-Ahenkro, part of the Bui National Park. The remains of a small grass fire are visible in the foreground. The thatched stalls of the weekly marketplace are visible beneath the majestic kapok tree that once stood at the south edge of town. To the left, near the smaller tree, is the reddish iron roof of the first town clinic, home to a nurse stationed by the goverment in town. Ahenkro experienced several major fires in the 20th century, prompting people to opt for metal roofs when they could afford them. Ahenkro, December, 1982
The weekly market at Banda-Ahenkro was formerly held at this marketplace, its thatch-roofed stalls located on the south edge of town beneath a majestic kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra). The tree was downed in a storm in the late 1990s, after which the market was relocated to an adjacent village. Ahenkro, June, 1982.
The road from Menji to the Black Volta River passes through the center of Banda-Ahenkro, pictured here in 1982, view to the north. Earthen-walled buildings line the main street. Houses on the right-hand side have thatched roofs while those on the left have metal roofs. People walk in the center of the street as they move about town. Ahenkro, December, 1982.
The weekly market at Banda-Ahenkro was formerly held at this marketplace, located on the south edge of town beneath a majestic kapok tree (Ceiba pentandra). Thatched market shelters are visible at the base of the tree. The ancient tree was downed in a storm in the late 1990s. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
Adwoa Miwo (right) learns to make clay pots from her experienced potter mother, Peni Ngunu Chͻ (center), as they work together in the interior courtyard of their house. Mosi Nyuu (husband and father) looks on. Partially finished clay jars sit nearby, resting on the palettes (kapankpa in Nafaanra) on which they have been formed. The more experienced mother is making a larger jar than her apprentice daughter. Also placed around the house's interior courtyard are two dark-colored clay soup pots (chiin sinyjͻlͻ in Nafaanra) and a wooden mortar (right). Thatch- and metal-roofed rooms surround the courtyard. Dorbour, 1994.
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.
The interior of a courtyard house surrounded by thatch-roofed rooms. Houses like this were often built over time, with rooms added as needed, gradually enclosing the interior courtyard. The compound in this photo is fully enclosed, with a doorway to the exterior visible in the center, back. Four hearths are visible in the courtyard, surrounded by a variety of metal vessels used in food preparation and other daily activities. Left, a pestle lies on the ground surrounded by groundnut (peanut, boŋgrɛ in Nafaanra) shells. Makala, July, 1994.
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 youngster helps a woman remove a loaded headpan as she approaches the thatch-roofed veranda of a room in a compound house. A variety of metal containers used to prepare food and for other household tasks are placed about, along with several calabash bowls and low stools used in this kitchen area. A headpan containing dishes rests on a cluster of hearth stones, lower right. Makala, July, 1994.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Makala
Subjects:
Headloading; Metal pots; Headpans
Subjects Facet:
Stools; Thatched roofs; Gourd, Calabash; Courtyards; Lifting and carrying
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.
A woman applies a fresh coat of plaster to the porch of her thatch-roofed house. The house's walls are made of atakpame (coursed earth). The plaster is an aesthetic finish that also protects the surfaces of the house. Makala, June-July, 1990
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Makala
Subjects:
Atakpame; Women's work
Subjects Facet:
Dwellings--Maintenance and repair; Thatched roofs; Building, Clay
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 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.
A view across a compound courtyard toward the courtyard of a neighboring house. Several hearths have clay pots resting on their hearth stones (gbunu in Nafaanra). Two wooden mortars are nearby. The house in the distance is made of sun-dried blocks, with one side of the house roofed with metal and the other side thatch. The ground is clear of plants and clean swept. Adadiem, 1994.
A view of houses along the north side of Makala's wide main street, looking northwest toward the Banda hills. Visible are atakpame (coursed earthen-walled) houses with thatched roofs. The exterior walls of some buildings are plastered. The streets and areas around houses are kept clear of plants. Makala, June-July, 1990.
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
Situated on the south side of Ahenkro against the backdrop of the Banda hills, one of the village's thatch-roofed primary schools (left) and the Junior Secondary School, still under construction but with one metal-roofed classroom in use. Ahenkro, July, 1986.
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.
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. A single house with a metal roof is visible to the right of the mango tree. The streets and areas around houses are kept clear of plants. 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.
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.
Potting clay is spread to dry after being mined and brought to Dorbour by a potter, perhaps aided by her relatives. The clay includes a combination of plastic clay (chͻklͻlͻ in Nafaanra) and sandy clay (sisa in Nafaanra) which are mixed together at the place where the clay is mined. After drying, the clay will be pounded, sifted, mixed with water and kneaded until the clay is the right consistency. A potter only mixes as much clay as she needs to make a batch of pots (6-8). Children may help with the work of pounding and kneading the clay. In the background, houses made of atakpame (coursed earthen-walls) with thatched roofs are visible. Dorbour, 1994.
Women in the central courtyard of a house compound in Ahenkro prepare the evening meal. A woman seated in the foreground readies dishes while women in the background cook over clustered hearths. A number of low stools are placed amidst a variety of metal, plastic and fired clay containers including buckets and pots. Calabash bowls (chrԑgbͻͻ in Nafaanra) are among the containers being used. A repurposed metal drum (center, back) holds water for household purposes. A raised platform is stacked with firewood brought by the women from farm and stored until needed. Thatch- and metal-roofed rooms surround the courtyard. Ahenkro, July-August, 1986.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Metal pots; Plastic containers; Water barrels; Women's work
The New Yam Festival (Finyjie Lie in Nafaanra) is a day of celebration for everyone, including children. Here children gather under the shade of a large tree around play hearths made with stones and clay where they are preparing for their own celebration. The thatched roofs of nearby houses appear in the background. 30 August, 1982, Ahenkro.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Children; New Yam Festival; Finyjie Lie (Festival)
A variety of charitable funding organizations sponsored the drilling of boreholes in villages across the Banda area from the late 1980s. Prior to this, families depended on local streams and rivers for water. Here a woman fills a headpan using a pump on the south side of Ahenkro. The thatched roofs of surrounding compounds are visible in the background. Ahenkro, June-July, 1990.
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.