Archaeological Investigation of Historic Kormantse, Ghana: Material Culture and African Cultural Identities

Abstract of the expedition, directly from the NSF website: http://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward.do?AwardNumber=0910457

With the support of National Science Foundation (NSF) Dr. E. Kofi Agorsah will undertake an archaeological investigation of the cultural formation and transformation of the historic Kormantse settlement on the Gold Coast, to examine its cultural responses to colonization. Although popular among scholars as the place of origin and pride of many Diaspora societies, little is known about Kormantse, its material culture, population's cultural identities and contributions in the colonial encounter, making it an "imaginary" reference population and settlement for African Diaspora societies. The project will pioneer scientific explanation for the connections using ethnographic and archaeological evidence; reconstruct the processes and manifestations by which the settlement's 16th to 20th century local and New World trans-Atlantic trade populations, negotiated their survival and identities; examine the role and impact of the numerous African populations in the formation of New World African cultures; identify material traces that would reflect the internal and external trade contacts, exchanges, migration routes and patterns of market traffic. Evidence of changing burial and social practices as indices of the community's shifting identity will determine the local community's adjustment to changing conditions and colonial impact. Artifact differentiation, sources of goods, trade routes, makers' marks and scientific dates, will help reconstruct the process of emerging and continuing social distinctions, establish the nature and process of cultural developments reflective of the formation and transformation of individual and interactive African and African Diaspora identities and populations.

Evidence from Kormantse, as a focal point and outlet for the population movements between the West African interior and coastal areas and the Americas, will help reconstruct the nature of colonial cultural exchanges. Introduction of forensic and bio-anthropological techniques into the area's archaeology for the first time, will provide pertinent information about the age, sex, and pathology and help create demographic and biological profiles, generate inferences concerning ecological adaptation, activity patterns, dietary influences and overall health. Bio-archaeological evidence and scientific analysis of soil, fauna, flora and other material will increase the data pool of participating American and local institutions, increase comparative capacity, open-up further collaborative opportunities and expand the range of inter-disciplinary academic contributions.

More broadly, the research will convert the Kormantse site from an "imaginary" historic to a de facto site with material culture depicting its role in the colonial encounter, educate and expand knowledge of its real worth and restore it to its well-deserved historical and cultural relevance for the Americas. Sharing the Kormantse data with the Du Bois Database and the African Burial Ground of New York, among others, will create new and refreshing perspectives on cultural identities linking Africa and the African Diaspora. The research constitutes a contribution to international student collaborative capacity-building, exchanges and field research training opportunities and strengthen developing educational partnerships with local Museums and cultural institutions; solidify public outreach; open up new tourist activities and provide material for local efforts toward a permanent field laboratory and site Museum for student courses, internships, exchanges scientific educational experience, while stimulating local and international interest, curiosity and support.

Additional reading material can be found in the African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter:

Agorsah, E. Kofi; Butler, Thomas. "Archaeological Investigation of Historic, Kormantse, Ghana: Cultural Identities," African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter (ADAN), Sept., 2008, p. 1-22: http://www.diaspora.uiuc.edu/news0908/news0908.html#1

Schaffer, W. C.; Agorsah E. Kofi. "Bio-archaeological Analysis of Historic Kormantse, Ghana," African Diaspora Archaeology Newsletter (ADAN), March, 2010, p. 1-12: http://www.diaspora.uiuc.edu/news0310/news0310.html#1

Gearing up for travel

So you want to go to Ghana.

Well it's not that easy.

First you must ensure that you receive the proper vaccinations. These include:

Hep A x2

Hep B x2

MMR x2 (in the US this is what must be presented to colleges and universities prior to enrollment)

Tetanus (these vaccinations also carry protection against diphtheria and pertussis)

Meningitis

Polio

Yellow Fever

Typhoid Fever

This part of Africa is know as the Meningitis Belt, and the risk is much higher in northern Ghana, however, one must still be cautious.

Yellow fever is a real danger and so is malaria, which to prevent one must take an anti-malarial or antibiotics such as doxycycline (which I have chosen). Doxycycline also protects against traveler's diarrhea and other food/water borne illnesses that may potentially arise.

Typhoid fever is also an important vaccination to receive prior to travel. One can get a vaccination with a needle containing a dead bacterium that lasts 2 years or a live bacterium in pill form that must be taken every other day for just over a week. The latter variant will protect the host for 5 years. And they cost about the same in price. I went for the 5 year plan of course!

Ghana is a fairly developed country comparatively to other parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Our current president in fact nearly a year ago made his first official visit to this part of Africa and specifically went to Ghana.

Visas are issued in order to visit Ghana and can be applied for via the Consular Section in Washington, DC. Proof of vaccination for yellow fever must be presented also to enter the country. An international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis from the CDC is approved by the WHO and is an accepted means to demonstrate vaccination.

All of this disease talk might make people nervous and even myself. This extended review of the vaccination process was not intended to make anybody uneasy or deter one from visiting this part or other parts of Africa. It's more related to the fact that I study diseases in antiquity and I find it rather interesting.

So I got my shots and my visa. I'm just about going, going, Ghana!