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The Maritime Archaeology of West Africa in the Atlantic World: Investigations at Elmina, Ghana

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The Maritime Archaeology of West Africa in the Atlantic World: Investigations at Elmina, Ghana Syracuse University SURFACE Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Anthropology - Dissertations Affairs 12-2012 The Maritime Archaeology of West Africa in the Atlantic World: Investigations at Elmina, Ghana Gregory David Cook Syracuse University Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/ant_etd Part of the Anthropology Commons Recommended Citation Cook, Gregory David, "The Maritime Archaeology of West Africa in the Atlantic World: Investigations at Elmina, Ghana" (2012). Anthropology - Dissertations. 99. https://surface.syr.edu/ant_etd/99 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Anthropology - Dissertations by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT This dissertation focuses on the first maritime archaeology research project conducted in Ghana, specifically off the town of Elmina in the Central Region. Survey and diver investigations resulted in the discovery of a mid-seventeenth century shipwreck, which archaeological and archival research suggests may be the Dutch West India Company vessel Groeningen that sank after arriving to Elmina on a trading voyage in 1647. The site lies approximately 2.4 kilometers (1.5 miles) southeast of Elmina and is characterized by a mass of trade goods, including brass and pewter basins, brass manillas, lead rolls, trade beads, pins, cowrie shells, as well as large iron cannons. I utilize a multi-scalar approach in this research, which allows me to take the shipwreck as the basic unit of analysis (an event or événement as Braudel would place it in his three scales of history), and situate it within the broader sphere of the Atlantic World. This geographical and chronological construction, encompassing Africa, Europe and the Americas and spanning the fifteenth to the nineteenth centuries, can be considered an example of the longue dureé as defined by the Annales school, a level of analysis involved with long term structures and world views. In utilizing these multi- scalar constructs, the Elmina Wreck serves as an example of the maritime element within the interconnections of the Atlantic World. Artifacts from the wreck site provide insights into the commodities involved in exchange between Africans and Europeans on the coast, and speak to the culture contact and flow of commodities across different cultural contexts. THE MARITIME ARCHAEOLOGY OF WEST AFRICA IN THE ATLANTIC WORLD: INVESTIGATIONS AT ELMINA, GHANA By Gregory D. Cook B.A. Indiana University, 1989 M.A. Texas A&M University, 1997 DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Anthropology in the Graduate School of Syracuse University December, 2012 Copyright 2012 Gregory D. Cook All Rights Reserved DEDICATION This dissertation is dedicated to Papa Kofi Arhin, master fisherman and dear friend, who passed away on June 20, 2012. Papa Kofi was instrumental in the success of the maritime archaeological research at Elmina, and his generosity and good nature will be missed by all who knew and worked with him. Photograph by Amy Mitchell-Cook iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS As with any research project that spans years and geographical regions in scope, I owe many individuals and institutions a great debt of gratitude in the culmination of this dissertation. First I want to thank my advisor, Christopher R. DeCorse, who initiated archaeological work at Elmina and saw the value of extending investigations to underwater sites off the coast. Chris’ guidance was not only critical in the success of this research, but also served as an excellent example of mentorship that I have strived to adapt in my own interactions with students. Whether huddled together in his office or sitting at his dinner table, Chris literally opened his doors to me and other graduate students, and his passion for teaching and research extends to generations of archaeologists that he has mentored. I also want to thank the other members of my committee: Doug Armstrong, Theresa Singleton, Kevin Crisman, Sue Wadley and Cathryn Newton. Whether serving as teachers or advisors, each of you played a key role in the completion of this research, and I am honored to have worked with all of you. I am indebted to the National Geographic Society, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and the University of West Florida (UWF) Scholarship and Creative Activities Faculty Research Grant Program for funding the fieldwork in Ghana. I also would like to express gratitude to Elizabeth Benchley, Director of the Division of Anthropology and Archaeology at UWF for her assistance and support, as well as UWF maritime archaeologist and conservator John Bratten, who oversaw the conservation of artifacts from the Elmina Wreck. Stephen James of Panamerican Consultants, Inc., provided the remote sensing gear that allowed the first survey for submerged archaeological sites off Ghana to be successful. v adapt in my own interactions with students. Whether huddled together in his office or sitting at his dinner table, Chris literally opened his doors to me and other graduate students, and his passion for teaching and research extends to generations of archaeologists that he has mentored. I also want to thank the other members of my committee: Doug Armstrong, Theresa Singleton, Kevin Crisman, Sue Wadley and Cathryn Newton. Whether serving as teachers or advisors, each of you played a key role in the completion of this research, and I am honored to have worked with all of you. I am indebted to the National Geographic Society, the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University, and the University of West Florida (UWF) Scholarship and Creative Activities Faculty Research Grant Program for funding the fieldwork in Ghana. I also would like to express gratitude to Elizabeth Benchley, Director of the Division of Anthropology and Archaeology at UWF for her assistance and support, as well as UWF maritime archaeologist and conservator John Bratten, who oversaw the conservation of artifacts from the Elmina Wreck. Stephen James of Panamerican Consultants, Inc., provided the remote sensing gear that allowed the first survey for submerged archaeological sites off Ghana to be successful. Friends and colleagues in Ghana were instrumental to the success of this project. My friendship with Benjamin Kankpeyeng began while we were graduate students at Syracuse, and his assistance and support in Ghana helped me immeasurably. The work was permitted and supported by the Ghana Museums and Monuments Board, and I particularly want to thank Raymond Agbo and Nicholas Ivor for their assistance while in the field. The University of Ghana’s Archaeology Department assisted with logistics, and Bossman Murey supported my research as well as that of many colleagues while in vi Ghana. My dear friend Papa Kofi Arhin served as a local facilitator in Elmina, and provided the canoe we used for the research. I will forever remember his warmth and good nature. Isaac Abban, Barnabus Akon and Joseph Annan assisted with fieldwork and logistics, and provided great company while voyaging offshore in canoes. Bob Millikin at Aquatec Diving Services in Tema provided key information on underwater conditions in coastal Ghana, and loaned diving equipment for the initial investigation of sites there in 2003. I also want to express gratitude to the multitude of colleagues, friends and students who accompanied me on multiple field seasons to Elmina. Michael Tuttle assisted with the initial remote sensing survey and helped to foster maritime research in Ghana. Additional crew members included Nicole Davis, Lisa Hopwood, Andrew Pietruszka, Jason Raupp, Paul Sjordal, and Hiroshi Toshikage. Despite challenging field and diving conditions, all of you played a central role in the success of this project. Nicole Davis and Lisa Hopwood completed M.A. theses on some of the artifacts recovered from the Elmina Wreck, and it was a pleasure working with them at UWF. My Syracuse colleagues Andrew Pietruszka and Rachel Horlings continued work on the site after my initial research, and their findings helped to elucidate the vessel’s date and nationality. I take great pride in standing alongside both of them in pioneering maritime archaeology in Ghana. I also want to thank my family for all of their support over the years: my parents, Helen and Gilbert, who instilled in me the desire to pursue a career in the sciences, as well as my stepdad Whit and my inlaws Pat and Leck, who are always eager to hear what new discoveries are on the horizon. Finally I owe more than I can ever repay to my wife, vii Amy Mitchell-Cook, for her support in completing this endeavor. Amy was a key crewmember, archaeologist and diver during the 2005 field season, and has served as an editor and advisor during the completion of the dissertation. This is just one chapter in the grand adventure that our marriage and partnership has become, and I could not have completed it without her. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Acknowledgements v List of Tables xii List of Figures xiii Chapter1: Introduction 1 The Genesis of the Project 1 Organization of the Dissertation 10 Chapter 2: Establishing the Context of the Underwater Archaeological Investigations in Ghana 12 Project Background 12 Theory in Nautical Archaeology 15 Discussion 23 Framing the Maritime Archaeology of Atlantic Africa 25 Shipwrecks and
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