A village of fishing families established by immigrant Ewe people on the margins of the newly formed Bui Lake, June, 2016. Many fishing families were drawn to Banda by opportunities created as Bui Lake formed behind the newly built Bui Dam. The villages consisted of tightly clustered houses, many with tarp roofs, located a short distance from the newly formed Bui Lake. Banda, June, 2016.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bui Lake
Subjects:
Bui Lake
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Fishing; Ewe (African people); Fishing villages
View of Ahenkro main street, looking southwest, the Omanhene's (paramount chief) palace to the right. Advertising signs for a printing kiosk and for a mobile money supplier (MTN) appear along the roadside. Two cellular phone towers are visible behind the palace. Ahenkro, June, 2016.
View of Omanhene's (paramount chief) palace on the main street of Banda-Ahenkro. Two cellular phone towers are visible behind the palace. A satellite dish appears to the right. Ahenkro, June 2016.
A youngster (Mamee) pours water from her headpan into a small white plastic barrel for storage and household use in cooking, drinking and bathing. Behind her, a light green plastic basin floats on top of the water in a full metal water barrel. Several wooden pestles are stored nearby. Fetching water for the household is typically the responsibility of older children. Depending on the size of the household, they may fetch water in the morning before going to school and again in the late afternoon. Ahenkro, July, 2008.
A youngster (Mamee) in the household carries water from a nearby borehole in a headpan. By her feet ( to the right) are the wall stubs of a cistern once fed by rainwater from the metal roof. A small white plastic barrel (center) placed by the hearth makes water conveniently available while cooking. Two coal pots are in use (behind the cat) and a small wooden mortar sits nearby. Ahenkro, July, 2008.
A new road (known in the 1990s as the 4th Republic Road) connected Kanka directly to Ahenkro, first as a grated road and, after completion of Bui Dam, as a paved road. Viewed here from the north edge of Kanka, looking northward, Ahenkro is visible in the distance. 18 June, 2016.
A clear-cut, tractor-plowed field at the base of the Banda hills, northwest of Ahenkro. Production of commercial tobacco in the 1980s and 1990s introduced clear cutting and tractor plowing to the area. Once opened up, these fields are not well suited for growing yams or intercropping. They are typically put to production of other cash crops. Northwest of Ahenkro, June, 2009.
Canoes like this one were the boats long used by Ewe fishing families on the Black Volta River in this area. These can only be used for near-shore fishing on the newly formed Bui Lake because winds and waves on the open lake are dangerous to small boats. Visible in the lake are the trees inundated as lake waters rose behind Bui Dam. Bui Lake, near Bongase, June, 2016.
Banda farmers began planting cashew trees as a cash crop in the early 2000s. Farms dedicated to the production of this export crop, like this one along the road south of Bongase, are increasingly common across the area. Bongase, 14 November, 2018.
Young Ewe fishermen from Akayakrom work part time as guides for tourists visiting Bui National Park. They await a group of tourists making a trip up river to view the park's resident hippo population. Thick riparian forest lines the north bank of the Black Volta River. Akanyakrom was among the villages flooded by Bui Lake as water levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Hippos were driven upstream by flooding and locally made canoes could no longer be used to ferry tourists because of the lake's winds and waves. L-R: Michael Dzobo, Williams Enam, Davis Lumor, Gordon Kumordzi. Akanyakrom, 12 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui National Park
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Hippopotamus; Canoes; Riparian forests; Black Volta River; Ewe (African people); Tourism
An Ewe fisherman from Akayakrom works part time as a guide for tourists visiting Bui National Park. Here he readies a boat to take a group up river to view the park's resident hippo population. Akanyakrom was among the villages flooded by Bui Lake as water levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Hippos were driven upstream by flooding and locally made canoes could no longer be used to ferry tourists because of the lake's winds and waves. Akanyakrom, 12 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui National Park
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Hippopotamus; Canoes; Riparian forests; Black Volta River; Ewe (African people); Tourism
Young Ewe fishermen from Akanyakrom paddle a group of tourists visiting Bui National Park upriver to see the park's resident hippo population. Thick riparian forest lines the banks of the Black Volta River. Akanyakrom and these upstream areas were flooded by Bui Lake as water levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Hippos were driven upstream by flooding and locally made canoes could no longer be used to ferry tourists because of the lake's winds and waves. Upstream of Akanyakrom, 12 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui National Park
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Hippopotamus; Canoes; Riparian forests; Black Volta River; Ewe (African people); Tourism
Dense riparian forest lines the southern bank of the Black Volta River upstream of Akanyakrom in Bui National Park. This forest provided habitat for rare monkey species and other animals and birds. Areas like these were flooded by Bui Lake as water levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Upstream of Akanyakrom, 12 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui National Park
Subjects Facet:
Landscapes; Animals; Riparian forests; Black Volta River
View towards the mountains which formed the Bui Dam site gorge, standing on Bui Kataa, south side of the Black Volta River. In the foreground, Nelson Anane stands in an archaeological test pit. Bui Kataa was a riverside site occupied during the 19th century and possibly before. This area was flooded by the rising waters of Bui Lake as if formed behind Bui Dam after 2012. Bui Kataa, 11 June, 2008.
Areas of the Black Volta River in Bui National Park are characterized by rocky outcrops. The river banks are lined with dense riparian forest. Upstream of Akanyakrom, 12 June, 2009.
Looking southwest from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. This is the first of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking southwest from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. This is the third of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking southwest from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. This is the second of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking northwest from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. This is the seventh of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking northwest from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. This is the sixth of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking west from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. Banda hills, This is the fourth of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking northwest from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. This is the eighth of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking west from the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. This is the fifth of eight images in a south-to-north panorama from this viewpoint. hills, 28 June, 2009.
Yaw Frimpong (seated, center), Enoch Mensah (standing, right) and Kofi Photo (rear) make their way down the eastern slope of the Banda hills from the Banda rockshelter. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
The flood zone of the newly formed Bui Lake extended further south than anticipated when lake levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. A section of the Ahenkro-Bongase road was flooded and a bypass around the flood zone had to be built. Here, shallow waters (center) spread out across the low landscape east of the Banda hills visible in the background. View to the southwest. First of five photos in a south-to-north panorama. South of Bongase, 18 June, 2016.
The flood zone of the newly formed Bui Lake extended further south than anticipated when lake levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Here, shallow waters (center) spread out across the low landscape east of Banda hills. Chuli (the notched section of the hills) is visible in the background. View to the west. Third of five photos in a south-to-north panorama. South of Bongase, 18 June, 2016.
The flood zone of the newly formed Bui Lake extended further south than anticipated when lake levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Here, shallow waters (center) spread out across the low landscape east of Banda hills. Chuli (the notched section of the hills) is visible in the background. View to the southwest. Second of five photos in a south-to-north panorama. South of Bongase, 18 June, 2016.
Sinohydro, the state-owned Chinese hydropower engineering and construction company, began constructing the Bui Hydroelectric Dam in 2008. Here the river's course has been diverted along the south bank as construction of the dam is underway. The land in the background lays within Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protection Area first established in 1971. Following completion of the dam, the area between the dam and the distant mountain was flooded by the newly formed Bui Lake. Viewing the scene, L-R, are Enoch Mensah, Devin Tepleski, unknown dam employeee, Ann B. Stahl and Sampson Attah. Bui Dam site, 7 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bui
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui National Park; Savanna woodland; Sinohydro; Vegetation
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Landscapes; Mountains; Wildlife refuges
The flood zone of the newly formed Bui Lake extended further south than anticipated when lake levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Here, shallow waters (center) spread out across the low landscape east of Banda hills. Chuli (the notched section of the hills) is visible in the background. View to the west. Fourth of five photos in a south-to-north panorama. South of Bongase, 18 June, 2016.
In the foreground, right, work in progress at the Bui Dam site by Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower and engineering company. Grating of the mountain slope is underway. Beyond that (right center) buildings associated with the Chinese operational site are visible. The braided channel of the Black Volta River downstream from the dam site is center frame. Bui Dam site, 7 July, 2009.
Work in progress at the Bui Dam site by Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower and engineering company. Here they grate the southern mountain that will serve as part of the dam's infrastructure. To the left, the cleared site of the former Ewe fishing village of Agbegikrom is visible. Looking downstream, the braiding of the Black Volta River below the dam site is visible. Bui Dam site, 7 July, 2009.
Work in progress at the Bui Dam site by Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower and engineering company. Here standing on the south bank looking northwest with a view of the diversion channel and the base of the dam under construction. The Bui National Park lands in the background were flooded by Bui Lake as it formed behind the dam from 2012. Bui Dam site, 7 July, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Dam Site
Subjects:
Sinohydro; Bui National Park; Savanna woodland; Vegetation
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Landscapes; Black Volta River; Mountains
A temporary bridge spans the Black Volta River at the site where Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower engineering and construction company began constructing the Bui Hydroelectric Dam in 2008. Bui Dam site, 7 July, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bui
Subjects:
Sinohydro; Savanna woodland; Vegetation
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Bridges; Black Volta River; Mountains
A plowed field at the base of the Banda hills near Ahenkro remains unplanted. Other previously plowed but now fallow fields are visible as light green areas against a background of savanna woodland. These clear-cut, tractor-plowed fields were first opened up in the 1980s and 1990s when many farmers took up commercial tobacco production, later banned by the Traditional Council. Looking eastward, the hills near Fawoman are visible in the background. Two photos. Northwest of Ahenkro, June, 2009.
Bridge spanning the Tombԑ River near Sabiye on the road from Menji to Ahenkro, view to the south. Construction of a replacement bridge began in the 2010s but was stalled by 2016. As of 2019, this bridge remained the main connection to southern towns traveling from Banda. Two photos. Sabiye, 19 June, 2016.
Work in progress at the Bui Dam site by Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower and engineering company. Here the river channel has been diverted and the base of the dam is under construction. View from the south bank, looking northwest. Two photos. Bui Dam site, 7 July, 2009.
This casted copper alloy Sankofa bird figure is in the Arts of Africa collection of the Brooklyn Museum. It is thought to be a gold weight. Gold weights were used to measure precise amounts of gold, in an elaborate system of weights, usually made of cast brass, developed by the seventeenth century. Gold weights took many forms: simple geometric shapes; animals, such as leopards or birds; objects, such as chairs or swords; and human figures. The figures, animals, and objects are often associated with proverbs. The sankofa bird, with head turned backward, represents the proverb “One must turn to the past to move forward.” This image is downloaded under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License.
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.
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.
Devin Tepleski, University of Victoria undergraduate student in visual anthropology, plays back film footage on a video camera to children from Bui Village. The children carry headpans as they make their way to the river to fetch water. Acting on a request by Bui people, Tepleski visited Bui as part of the Banda Research Project to video-document the village and its people prior to their mandatory relocation due to the Bui Hydroelectric Dam project. His short film "Mango Driftwood" was posted on YouTube on 20 November, 2010 at the link below. Bui Village, May, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bui
Subjects:
Headpans; Mango Driftwood; Team photo; Bui; Fetching water; Children's work
Members of the archaeological excavation team at Ngre Kataa. Team members included graduate students from the University of Ghana and from North America, a representative of the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board and Banda men from Ahenkro and Nyrie. Back row (L-R): Amy Groleau, Kofi Paul, Yaw Frimpong, Kofi "Photo" Manu, Felix Ochra, Mr. Monney, Nelson Anane, Sampson Fordjour, Yaw Mensah, Enoch Mensah, Ben Nutor, Amanda Logan, Osei Kofi. Front row (L-R): Ann Stahl, J. K. Mensah, Idrusu, Abass Iddrisu, Kofi Nsia, Kwakye Eric. Ngre Kataa, 19 July, 2008.
Archaeological team member Enoch Mesah (left, white shirt) explains what archaeologists have been learning through excavation of Mound 7 at Ngre Kataa. He addresses Tolɛɛ Gbankama, chief of Nyire (standing, center, white shirt) and accompanying Nyire elders during a site visit. Archaeological team member Kofi Nsia pauses excavation during the conversation, the short-handled hoe with which he is working resting on the ground in front of him. Ngre Kataa, 6 July, 2009.
Banda Queen Mother Lelԑԑ Akosua Kepefu (center) shows an example of locally made strip-woven cloth to a young painter as a model for a painting on the Banda Cultural Centre doors. Enoch Mensah holds one end of the cloth. To the right, Afua Fofie, Linguist, looks on with artist Kwame K.B. 2. They stand on Ahenkro's main street (view towards the south). Ahenkro, 5 June, 2011.
At an event showcasing the songs and dances associated with puberty (Manaa Ndiom) and wedding (Bijam) rites, two Boase women sit on low wooden stools as they play drums made from hollowed-out calabashes or gourds (chrɛ in Nafaanra). The large lower calabashes are supported by another container (a large tomato paste tin on the left and a plastic bowl on the right). A smaller calabash bowl (chrɛgbɔɔ in Nafaanra) floats upright in water contained within the larger calabash. The women create a rhythm by tapping the calabash ladles held in their right hands on the surface of the floating calabash and the rim of the larger calabash bowl. The kernels of maize (corn, or bleju in Nafaanra) clustered at the base of the larger calabash in the foreground have been tossed into the drum by dancers as they pass by. Another woman, seated upper left, holds a small calabash bowl filled with maize kernels which dancers will use as offerings. Boase, 11 November, 2018.
Calabash drums accompany songs sung by Nafana women during the celebration of puberty (Manaa Ndiom) and marriage (Bijam) rites. These drums are played exclusively by women. The drums are made by filling a large hollowed-out calabash or gourd (chrɛ in Nafaanra) with water. A smaller calabash bowl (chrɛgbɔɔ in Nafaanra) floating upright in the water provides the surface on which the women drum. The small calabash ladles resting in the water are used to beat the up-turned floating calabash bowls and the rim of the large calabash. Visible at the bottom of the larger calabash drum are maize (bleju in Nafaanra) kernels tossed into the drum by passing dancers. Among the kernels are several pesewa coins also tossed in by dancers. Two views. Boase, 11 November, 2018.
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.
Afua Fawoman is pictured on the occasion of a filmed interview with the Banda Heritage Initiative Local Committee during which she spoke about the events that led to Fawoman people moving from Brohane to Fawoman. L-R: ___, ___, Afua Fawoman, ___. Fawoman, 1 October, 2018.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Fawoman
Subjects:
Relocation; Family history; Village founding; Banda Heritage Initiative
Afua Wewa is pictured on the occasion of a filmed interview with the Banda Heritage Initiative Local Committee during which she spoke about life in earlier decades in Wewa village. Ahenkro, 24 August, 2018.
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
An aerial view of Banda area settlements and roads, looking southwards 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), 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 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. Ahenkro, 25 June, 2019.
Dzobo Sebastian, an Ewe fishermen from Akayakrom, works part time as a guide for tourists visiting Bui National Park. He paddles a boat carrying tourists up river to view the park's resident hippo population. Thick riparian forest lines the north bank of the Black Volta River. Akanyakrom and these upstream areas were flooded by Bui Lake as water levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Hippos were driven upstream by flooding and locally made canoes could no longer be used to ferry tourists because of the lake's winds and waves. Akanyakrom, 12 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui National Park
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Hippopotamus; Canoes; Riparian forests; Black Volta River; Ewe (African people); Tourism
The town of Ahenkro as seen from the Banda hills, view to the southeast. The first of the town's cellular phone towers is visible on the south side of town. The eastern range of Banda hills is visible in the distance. At the photo's bottom left, the angular edges of a tractor-plowed field are visible. Clear-cut fields like these were first established when Banda area farmers took up commercial tobacco farming during the 1980s and 1990s. Since tobacco farming was banned by the Banda Traditional Council in the early 2000s, these fields have been put to other types of cash cropping. Banda, June, 2009.
A view looking northward on Ahenkro's main street. The paved road is bordered on either side by deep gutters. Electrical poles and wires run along one side of the street. A sign advertising MTN "Mobile Money" is placed roadside. Several motor vehicles are parked along the road. A bicycle is parked in the foreground. Ahenkro, June, 2016.
Ahenkro (left) and Kabruno/Kanka (right) as seen from the Banda hills, view to the southeast. Two of the early (red-and-white) cellular phone towers in the area are visible. The eastern range of Banda hills is visible in the distance. Banda, June, 2009.
Banda-Ahenkro became the district headquarters for the newly established Banda District in 2012. This brought a number of new services to the area. Seen here is the Banda Branch of the Nafana Rural Bank, which opened on the main street of Ahenkro after the Banda District was established A satellite communications dish is placed nearby. Ahenkro, June, 2016.
The clustered villages of Kabruno, Kanka, Sase and Gbao are visible from the hills west of Ahenkro, as is the road leading south to Sabiye. The eastern range of Banda hills is visible in the distance. Banda, June, 2009.
Ahenkro (left) and Kabruno/Kanka (right) as seen from the Banda hills, view to the southeast. The eastern range of Banda hills is visible in the distance. Banda, June, 2009.
A man operates a diesel-powered corn mill in a roofed shed while another adjusts a grain bag nearby. He grinds grain into a plastic container resting in a headpan. Another headpan filled with maize (corn, bledju in Nafaanra) sits in front with a calabash used as a scoop sitting on top. Other plastic and metal containers sit nearby. Diesel-powered grinding mills first began to be set up in Ahenkro in the 1980s. They have become more common over the years, reducing the need for maize and other dried foodstuffs to be pounded by hand in wooden mortars. At the same time, they have expanded the need for cash income as grinding has become part and parcel of household budgets. Ahenkro, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Diesel engine; Automation; Headpans; Plastic containers; Men's work
Bags of charcoal awaiting transport to market. Charcoal production in Banda expanded from a relatively small-scale activity to a much larger-scale one over the early 2000s. This charcoal was made on the site of Bui Kataa, an old settlement located on the banks of the Black Volta River near Bui Village. The area is now under the floodwaters created by the Bui Dam. Bui Kataa, June, 2008.
A woman prepares soup over a a coal pot. In her left had she holds a metal grinding bowl and by her right hand is a commercially made ceramic grinding bowl. The blue plastic barrel (rear) holds water for the household. Ahenkro, June, 2016.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Metal pots; Grinding bowl; Water barrels; Ahenkro; Coal pot; Women's work; Plastic containers
Children from Bui village fetch water from the nearby Black Volta River. They work together to hoist water-filled headpans in which they have placed leaves to stop the water from sloshing from the pan as they walk back to their homes. Bui, May, 2009.
Bridge spanning the Tombԑ River near Sabiye on the road from Menji to Ahenkro, view to the south. This is the route over which many of the supplies for construction of the Bui Dam arrived. The bridge is pictured here prior to the main dam construction (from December, 2009). Sabiye, June, 2008.
View from the north edge of Ahenkro of the road leading northward to Bongase and the Bui Dam site. Newly installed electricty poles and wires are visible on the roadside. Ahenkro, June, 2008.
View from the north edge of Ahenkro of the road leading northward to Bongase and the Bui Dam site. Electricty poles and wires are visible on the roadside. The newly grated road of a year before has suffered erosion in the intervening rainy season. Ahenkro, June, 2009.
Recently paved road connecting Ahenkro with the Wenchi-Bamboi road (N12) via Kanka. Photo taken in-between Nyire and the Kanka traffic circle leading to Ahenkro. 9 July, 2011.
View to the south on the Bongase road, roughly 1.7 km west of Bongase. The peak known as 'Chuli' is visible in mountain range to the right. 12 June, 2009.
Young girls dress in nubility attire for the annual Children's Day sponsored by local schools. They wear snail shell necklaces and have applied white paint to their face, chest and midriff. This attire is associated with the nubility ceremonies of groups from southern Ghana and is adopted here as a generic form of ritual costume. L-R: Yaa Naa (in profile); Akosua Kojie (yellow head scarf); Naomi (back row); Isha Brimah (vertical stripes); Atta Forkour (center front); Yaa Manu (behind); Florence (behind); Akua Yaa Wale (red & black head scarf); Shallot Vasco (far right). Ahenkro, 23 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre; Children's day; Nubility rites
Boys dress in traditional attire for the annual Children's Day festivities sponsored by local schools. Seated in front is an adolescent dressed as a chief. He and the two boys standing behind him (center and right) wear cloths made by strip-weaving. A boy standing left holds a linguist staff. Ahenkro, 23 June, 2009.
Standing on the south bank of the Black Volta River near Bui Village, looking east-northeast to the gap in the Banda hills where the Bui Dam was constructed. The area between Bui village and the river was the site of a 19th-century village (Bui Kataa or old Bui). This area was flooded by the rising waters of Bui Lake as it formed behind Bui Dam after 2012. Bui, 25 July, 1982.
A roadside billboard in Ashanti Region advertising the 24 August, 2007 inauguration event for the Bui Dam project. President J. A. Kufuor is pictured alongside a designer's image of the dam and an imagined Bui City. Blocked by the smaller "Abuakwa State College" billboard in the foreground is text that reads "Bui AgroTourism Business" alongside the designer's sketch of irrigated fields at the bottom of the larger billboard. Ashanti Region, June, 2008.
View towards the mountains which formed the Bui Dam site gorge, standing on Bui Kataa, south side of the Black Volta River. In the foreground, Nelson Anane stands in an archaeological test pit. Bui Kataa (old Bui) was a riverside site occupied during the 19th century and possibly before. This area was flooded by the rising waters of Bui Lake as if formed behind Bui Dam after 2012. Bui Kataa, 11 June, 2008.
Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower engineering and construction company, began construction on the Bui Hydroelectric Dam in 2008. Here a road is being constructed along the south bank of the Black Volta River at the dam site. Bui Dam site, 28 June, 2008.
Standing on the south bank of the Black Volta River near Bui Village, looking north-northwest. Thick riparian forest is visible on the river's north bank. The area between Bui Village and the river was the site of a 19th-century village, Bui Kataa. This area was flooded by the rising waters of Bui Lake as it formed behind Bui Dam after 2012. Bui, 7 June, 2008.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Bui
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui Kataa; Savanna woodland; Vegetation
Subjects Facet:
Bui Dam (Ghana); Landscapes; Riparian forests; Black Volta River; Mountains
View towards the mountains which formed the Bui Dam site gorge, standing on Bui Kataa (old Bui), south side of the Black Volta River. This area was flooded by the rising waters of Bui Lake as it formed behind Bui Dam after 2012. Bui Kataa, 11 June, 2008.
Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower engineering and construction company, began construction on the Bui Hydroelectric Dam in 2008. Here a road is being constructed along the south bank of the Black Volta River at the dam site. Bui Dam site, 28 June, 2008.
Interior of the Banda rockshelter (sdekpͻͻ in Nafaanra). Its floor is covered with large boulders which sheared from the shelter's roof over time. Banda oral histories refer to this as the cave in which people hid during Asante's attacks on Banda in the 1700s. These stories may relate to Asantehene Osei Kwadwo's campaign against Banda during the dry season of 1773-74. After this, in February 1774, Dutch officials at Elmina Castle reported purchasing captives from Asante's war against "Benda." To the right, David Adjartey Tei-Mensah holds a video camera. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
View to the west from the Banda hills above Ahenkro. The mountains near Fawoman are visible in the distance. Rooftops of houses on Ahenkro's north side are visible (right). In the foreground a clear-cut tractor-plowed field awaits planting. Fields such as this were first established when Banda farmers began to plant tobacco as a cash crop, incentivized by commercial tobacco companies. After tobacco growing was banned by the Banda Traditional Council (early 2000s), these fields were put to other crops, including cashew. Banda Hills, 28 June, 2009.
Looking northwest from the entrance to the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Banda
Subjects:
Hunting; Rockshelter; Bui National Park; Savanna woodland; Vegetation
Looking northwest from the entrance to the Banda rockshelter, the view encompasses land that since 1971 has been part of Bui National Park, a Wildlife Protected Area covering more than 1800 km2. Prior to that, these lands west of the Banda hills were important to local people as a source of "bush meat." Archaeological evidence suggests that for centuries hunting was provided an important food source for Banda peoples. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Banda
Subjects:
Hunting; Rockshelter; Bui National Park; Savanna woodland; Vegetation
Dense riparian forest lines the southern bank of the Black Volta River upstream of Akanyakrom in Bui National Park. This forest provided habitat for rare monkey species and other animals and birds. Areas like these were flooded by Bui Lake as water levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Upstream of Akanyakrom, 12 June, 2009.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Akanyakrom
Subjects:
Bui Lake; Bui National Park
Subjects Facet:
Landscapes; Animals; Riparian forests; Black Volta River
The road leading from Ahenkro to Bongase parallels the Banda hills. Visible on the far right (center) is an electrical pole. Electrification was recent at the time of this picture. The mountains near Jama on the north side of the Black Volta River are visible, center. North of Ahenkro, 16 June, 2009.
The mountain range near Jama, north of the Black Volta River, is visible in the distance (center). Electrical lines (foreground) parallel the Ahenkro-Bongase road from which this photo was taken. North of Ahenkro, 16 June, 2009.
Yaw Frimpong stands next to a termite mound in the Banda hills near the Banda rockshelter. Termites nest in the ground below such mounds. Scientific studies suggest that the mounds act as vents, circulating air to the nest beneath the mound. Banda hills, 28 June, 2009.
The flood zone of the newly formed Bui Lake extended further south than anticipated when lake levels rose behind Bui Dam after 2012. Here, shallow waters (center) spread out across the low landscape east of Banda hills. Chuli (the notched section of the hills) is visible in the background. View to the northwest. Fifth of five photos in a south-to-north panorama. South of Bongase, 18 June, 2016.
Bui Dam was built by Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower engineering and construction company. Construction was begun in 2008 and the first turbines became operational in 2013. Here the dam is viewed looking northwest from the newly constructed bridge downstream. Reduced downstream flow of the Black Volta River has exposed the river's rocky bed. Bui Dam site, 18 June, 2016.
The Bui Hydroelectric Dam reduced the Black Volta River's downstream flow, exposing here the rocky river bed that was once home to a braided river channel. Fishing is no longer viable in these downstream areas. Here the river is viewed (looking southeast) from the newly constructed bridge that crosses the Black Volta River, a short distance downstream from the dam. Bui Dam site, 18 June, 2016.
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 and east sides. Two photos. Ahenkro, June, 2016.
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.
Sinohydro, a state-owned Chinese hydropower engineering and construction company, began construction on the Bui Hydroelectric Dam in 2008. Here on the north bank of the Black Volta River at the base of the mountain which became the dam site is an Ewe fishing village, Agbegikrom. The village was leveled after its inhabitants were resettled. Two views, one showing a road under construction along the south bank of the Black Volta River at the dam site. Bui Dam site, 28 June, 2008.
Banda Research Project team members Kofi Paul and Kofi Nsia screen soil from a Mound 7 excavation unit at Ngre Kataa as team member Idrusu brings another headpan of soil. The excavated soil is sieved through 1/4 inch mesh screen in order to recover artifacts (fragments of pottery, metals, beads, animal bone) that will be bagged, cataloged and studied. Studying these objects and the contexts from which they were recovered (their provenience) helps archaeologists to learn about the daily lives of past people. Ngre Kataa, 9 July, 2008.
Banda Research Project team member Samuel Babatu (white shirt) serves as a docent for one of the informational posters on Banda history and archaeology launched at a 2011 community event. Young people gather to listen as he discusses the poster's content. In the background, other project team-member docents (Boye, Kofi "Photo" Manu and Yaw Frimpong) share other posters. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, 15 July, 2011.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre; Community engagement; Community event; Poster
Young people look at and talk about the"Banda in the 15th to 17th Centuries" informational poster during a Banda Heritage community event. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, 15 July, 2011.
Boase Chief Tolԑԑ Ligbi Wulotei (center) looks at pottery from Banda area archaeological sites while Banda Project team member Boye (far right) looks on. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, 15 July, 2011.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre; Community engagement; Community event
Banda Research Project team member Sampson Attah (left) presents a Banda chief (right) with copies of heritage documents at a community event celebrating Banda cultural heritage. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, 15 July, 2011.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre; Community engagement; Community event
Community members discuss one of the informational posters on Banda history and archaeology launched at a 2011 community event. Banda Cultural Centre, Ahenkro, 15 July, 2011.
Rights:
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial
Publisher:
University of Victoria Libraries
Location(s) Facet:
Ahenkro
Subjects:
Banda Cultural Centre; Community engagement; Community event; Poster