DOCSLIB.ORG

African Architecture and Identity: the 19Th Century Asante Palace in Kumasi, Ghana Royal Palace Structure of Memory Making and Meaning

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
African Architecture and Identity: the 19Th Century Asante Palace in Kumasi, Ghana Royal Palace Structure of Memory Making and Meaning African Architecture and Identity: The 19th Century Asante Palace in Kumasi, Ghana Royal Palace_Structure of Memory Making And Meaning Area of Research The making of objects and symbols in society since antiquity define the purpose of existence in many cultures all over the world. Making was the fundamental idea of communicating the intangible elements of the mind into tangible objects of mean- ing. The Asante used gold the plentiful earth mineral of the region to create ele- ments of wealth, power and spirituality of the culture. The most significant objects of the Asante are the Golden Stool and the Kente Cloth. They relay a message to the people to create unity in the nation. These were essential ritual elements that was apart of the Asante king’s procession into the Asante Palace. The Golden Stool and the Asantehene Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II wearing a kente cloth robe. The Golden Stool, which takes precedence of the Asantehene, is lying on its side in its own chair of state, the upper surface facing the spectators. ( Ward, 1958). The Golden Stool, Sika Dwa Kofi, has Palace of Asante King in Kumasi Ghana facing a center courtyard. The building was destroyed by the British during the Anglo-Asante War in 1896. (Lisapo Ya been the symbol of power in Asante Kama, 2020). Kingdom since the 17th century. According to oral tradition, Okomfo Anokye, a High Priest and one of the two founders of the Asante Confedera- cy, conjured the Golden Stool, decorat- ed with golden bells, and caused it to descend from the sky where it landed at the feet of Osei Tutu I, the first Asante- hene, King of Asante. The Asante have believe that the Golden Stool houses the soul of the Asante nation. The Stool, is made of gold, stands 18 inches high, 24 inches long, and 12 inches wide. It was cut and carved from a single tree and overlayed with gold. It is never allowed to touch the ground and con- sidered so sacred that no one is al- lowed to sit on it. Each new Asante king is lowered and raised over the Golden Stool without touching it to establish his authority as the leader of the Asante nation. (Ewusi, 2018). The Golden Stool (Sika’ dwa) in it’s chair with ceremonial bells of protection (Ewusi, 2018) Ornament in red clay on the King’s Palace (Ramseyer and Steiner, 1901). The Adinkra The national flag of Asante the yellow symbol on the plinth is called Dwenini aben/ symbolize the gold mineral wealth, Humility and Strength. Dwenini refers to a the green represent the rich rainforest “ram” and it signifies humility. Aben refers ecozone, and the black represent the to “horns” and it signifies strength (Asmah, people with the Golden Stool in the mid- 2009). dle representing unity and the ultimate KUMASI symbol of power. Ghana, which means Warrior King, is 1 of 54 countries in the continent of Africa. The country lies along the Greenwich Meridian 0 degrees longi- Adinkra is an Akan word King’s Palace at Kumasi, entrance to the courtyard (Ramseyer and tude. It is located in the north west coastal region of Africa bordered by that means farewell or Steiner, 1901). the Gulf of Guinea and Atlantic Ocean. Ghana is bordered on land by Cote good-bye. It is a group of d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast) to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, and Togo to symbols created by the the east. Ghana is located in a tropical climate zone with wet and dry sea- Asante as a writing sys- sons (Adjaye, Alison, 2016). The country has two main rivers the Black Vol- tem. Each symbol can be ta flowing north-south on the western border of Ghana and the White Volta associated with an apho- that flow north-south in the center of the country. The rivers merge into rism that offers insight to Lake Volta the largest artificial reservoir in the world formed by Akosombo the Akan way of life. The Dam. From the dam the Volta rivers flow into the Gulf of Guinea. The dam Adinkra and their accom- generates electrical energy for Ghana. There are over approximately 19 panying proverb was and languages spoken in the country. The capital of Ghana is Accra, which still is a form of commu- means “ants” or “soldier ants” referencing the large anthills in the region. Map of Kumasi city drawn by Thomas Bodwich in 1817. The map displays the organization of significant houses, nication system that pre- The area of research is Kumasi, the second largest city of Ghana and streets and zones in association with the Asante Palace.(Bodwich, 1819) serves and transmits the know as the foundational heritage city of the traditional Asante nation. The cultural and spiritual values name Kumasi means “under the kumnini tree” established by the Asante of the Asante. These sym- King. In this area the most native languages spoken are Ga of Ga-Adange- bols were also used on the 1 be and Twi of the Akan Asante. facade of buildings de- signed by the Asante. On the facade of the Asante Palace Adinkra symbols was carved into the struc- ture to display a message The traditional methods of construction in various regions in Africa not only registered sociocultural identity but also of meaning (The Spirituals Project, 2004). demonstrated sustainable practices and the innovative use of local materials. Some of the local materials used in Africa Drawing of the Asante Palace by Thomas Bodwich that displays a thatch roof, carved ornamental in various countries consist of laterite, textiles, bamboo, mosaic, mat stones, dye, timber, tusks, snail shell, cow dung, system of symbols on the facade above a series of open bays on a red clay plinth foundation locat- ed in part of a Piazza in the palace (Bodwich, 1819). cowries’ cane and mud (Adekunle, Odeyale, 2008). Tectonically, the buildings and material elements address climatic conditions within the region. Historically, the urban fabric of various building types was the measure of technological ad- vancement and references of power in the landscape. Culturally, the embodiment of social identity is inscribed in build- Left: Adinkra symbols by Professor Ablade 2 Glover, Accra Ghana and Stools with Adinkra ings to mark the measure of existence. symbols .(image by author) Right: Man uses wood comb to make parallel lines on a Adinkra cloth (Ventura, 2012) In the 19th century, missionaries and European officials took ethnographic surveys of the Asante palace in Kumasi, Gha- na that was destroyed during the colonial period. However, the findings do not address the phenomenological experi- ence, ritual practice, holistic architectonic structure, or socio-cultural expression of the Asante Palace. This dissertation 2 examines as a case study the archival records of 19th century Asante palace of Kumasi, Ghana to reveal the culture and materiality connections to the identity of the Asante. “African traditional textiles are a visual representation of history, philosophy, ethics, social conduct, The research draws from both anthropology and architecture to define space and place narratives. From an anthropolog- 5 ical point of view, collective memory, symbolization, ritual praxis, political and social organization explains the culture and religious beliefs, political thought and aesthetic principles” - Abra- embodied meaning of the identity of the Asante. Additionally, the architecture of the palace defines traditional methods ham Ekow Asmah (Asmah, 2009). of construction, sustainable practices, cultural identity elements and their meaning to the structural phenomenological The narratives of Kente cloth and experience, and spatial narrative to interpret the social landscapes. Kente weaving vary in measure 3 and degree. Kente weaving is an indigenous technique dated far The oral traditions of the Mande speaking group the Soninke (or Sarakulle) in the Western Sudanese empire, the origin of back as the 16th century in Gha- Wattle and Daub construction a typical wall assembly used to create buildings by the Asante using local materials. It consist of a wood Ghana. Historically the records of events, traditions, ceremonies, royal coronations, births, deaths, marriages, battles of na, The Asante people pioneered framework, builders craft a woven lattice of horizontal and vertical Kente weaving in Ghana, having branches or wood posts, upon this system wet laterite balls are victories and defeats were stored in the minds of historians called doma-dieli or ‘keepers of memories.’ Every village and pressed onto the lattice surface at a thickness ranging from 6 to 9 an aged story of two brother, Nana inches ( ANO Institute of Art and Knowledge, 2020). clan had a doma-dieli before their was a written language. In the accounts of establishing memory of the history of Gha- Kuragu and Nana Ameyaw, who na overtime and the expansion of the kingdom of Ghana the doma-dieli explain the transition of the city-states named learned the noble art by observ- References Adekunle, Timothy & Odeyale, Timothy ‘Seyi. 2008. Innovative and sustainable local Wagadu (“ place of herds”) to Ghana (“ warrior king”) (Ki-Zerbo,1981, McKissacks, 1994). The Asante empire of the ing a spider spin its web on a material in traditional African architecture –Socio cultural dimension. ch113.e farm they visited. Each geometric Adjaye, David, and Peter Allison. Adjaye, Africa, Architecture : A Photographic Survey coastal country of Ghana likewise have grafted cultural traditions, methods of making and meaning into the structures of of Metropolitan Architecture. New York, NY : Thames & Hudson, 2016. ANO Institute of Art and Knowledge. “Vernacular Architecture: The Indigenous shape has a symbolic meaning Materials And Construction Techniques Of Ghana. The Cultural Encyclopaedia”. 2020. https://www.culturalencyclopaedia.org/vernacular-architecture-the-indigenous-materi- buildngs that reflect traces of memory that tell the narrative of the past.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Impact of Matriarchal Traditions on the Advancement of Ashanti Women in Ghana Karen Mcgee
    The University of San Francisco USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center Listening to the Voices: Multi-ethnic Women in School of Education Education 2015 The mpI act of Matriarchal Traditions on the Advancement of Ashanti Women in Ghana Karen McGee Follow this and additional works at: http://repository.usfca.edu/listening_to_the_voices Part of the Education Commons Recommended Citation McGee, Karen (2015). The mpI act of Matriarchal Traditions on the Advancement of Ashanti Women in Ghana. In Betty Taylor (Eds.), Listening to the Voices: Multi-ethnic Women in Education (p. 1-10). San Francisco, CA: University of San Francisco. This Book is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Education at USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. It has been accepted for inclusion in Listening to the Voices: Multi-ethnic Women in Education by an authorized administrator of USF Scholarship: a digital repository @ Gleeson Library | Geschke Center. For more information, please contact [email protected]. The Impact of Matriarchal Traditions on the Advancement of Ashanti Women in Ghana Karen McGee What is the impact of a matriarchal tradition and the tradition of an African queenmothership on the ability of African women to advance in political, educational, and economic spheres in their countries? The Ashanti tribe of the Man people is the largest tribe in Ghana; it is a matrilineal society. A description of the precolonial matriarchal tradition among the Ashanti people of Ghana, an analysis of how the matriarchal concept has evolved in more contemporary governments and political situations in Ghana, and an analysis of the status of women in modern Ghana may provide some insight into the impact of the queenmothership concept.
    [Show full text]
  • A COMMUNITY PARK for the TOWN of AKYEM ODA, GHANA By
    THE THREE AKYEM: A COMMUNITY PARK FOR THE TOWN OF AKYEM ODA, GHANA by ALEXANDER NAGEL (Under the Direction of Pratt Cassity) ABSTRACT This thesis presents a program and design for a new community park for Akyem Oda, a small town in the rain forest region of Ghana. The town was visited two times in 2004 and 2005 as part of the ongoing yearly Summer Service-Learning Studio during which time a site inventory was performed. Background research for the program development included geography and history of Ghana with a special focus on the Asante kingdom, traditional building techniques, land planning and an exploration of Akyem history in relationship to the dominant kingdom of Asante. A photo documentation of the main features of Akyem Oda and their spatial relationships to each other completes the research part of this thesis. The program for the proposed ‘Three Akyem Community Park’ integrates a Parade Ground, a Cultural Center and three Groves representing each of the three Akyem people on the 8.9 acres rectilinear site. INDEX WORDS: Africa, Akyem Oda, Architecture, Asante, Cultural Center, Community Park, Courtyard House, Diaspora, Ghana, Grove, Land Planning, Parade Ground, Service-Learning, Tourism THE THREE AKYEM: A COMMUNITY PARK FOR THE TOWN OF AKYEM ODA, GHANA by ALEXANDER NAGEL Diploma, Tuebingen University, Germany, 1996 M.S., The University of Georgia, 2003 A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of The University of Georgia in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree MASTER OF LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ATHENS, GEORGIA 2007 © 2007 Alexander Nagel All Rights Reserved THE THREE AKYEM: A COMMUNITY PARK FOR THE TOWN OF AKYEM ODA, GHANA by ALEXANDER NAGEL Major Professor: Pratt Cassity Committee: Mary Anne Akers Karim Traore Jennifer Perissi Electronic Version Approved: Maureen Grasso Dean of the Graduate School The University of Georgia May 2007 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS There are many people who in different ways helped me along the way towards completion of my program and this thesis.
    [Show full text]
  • ARTICLES the GOLDEN STOOL and the OATHS to the KING of ASHANTI by George P. Hagan* My Aim in This Paper Is to Present an Interpr
    ARTICLES THE GOLDEN STOOL AND THE OATHS TO THE KING OF ASHANTI by George P. Hagan* My aim in this paper is to present an interpretation of Ashanti kingship in the light of two other political institutions in Ashanti; and it is in two parts. The first part is an attempt to interpret the functions of the King of Ashanti in the light of the symbolic significance of the Golden Stool. And the second part is an attempt at a structural analysis of the institution of oaths. The two parts of the paper, or the two themes, are related: while it is the Golden Stool which gives ritual and, therefore, ultimate validation to the authority oS the King of Ashanti, it is through oaths that the prerogative of the king to command the obedience of his subjects - which is the substance of real authority - is given the force of personal commitment by his subjects, from below. It is the Golden Stool^ and the Oaths which make the king 'the hub of Ashanti political system.' The significance of the Golden Stool - the Attribute of Divinity The symbol of political authority in Ashanti is the Stool. Every political unit in Ashanti - division, vicinage, village or lineage - has a stool which is the symbol of the authority of its leadership. All such stools, needless to say, are parochial symbols which focus attention and sentiment on segmental identities and factional interests. The Golden Stool is the sole exception to this. As the symbol which stands for the widest expanse of political authority (and all other stools fall under it), the Golden Stool enshrines the common fundpmental values which all the segments of the nation fcspouse and cherish.
    [Show full text]
  • Commemorating an African Queen Ghanaian Nationalism, the African Diaspora, and the Public Memory of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, 1952–2009
    Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University History Faculty Publications Department of History 2014 Commemorating an African Queen Ghanaian Nationalism, the African Diaspora, and the Public Memory of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, 1952–2009 Harcourt Fuller Georgia State University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/history_facpub Part of the History Commons Recommended Citation Fuller, H. “Commemorating an African Queen: Ghanaian Nationalism, the African Diaspora, and the Public Memory of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, 1952 – 2009.” African Arts 47.4 (Winter 2014): 58-71. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of History at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in History Faculty Publications by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Commemorating an African Queen Ghanaian Nationalism, the African Diaspora, and the Public Memory of Nana Yaa Asantewaa, 1952–2009 Harcourt Fuller All photos by the author except where otherwise noted he years 2000–2001 marked the centennial of deeds of Yaa Asantewaa. The minister encouraged the nation to the Anglo-Asante War (otherwise known as the commemorate Yaa Asantewaa’s heroism, demonstrated through War of the Golden Stool) of 1900–1901. This bat- her self-sacrifice in defending the Golden Stool in 1900–1901. tle was led by Nana Yaa Asantewaa (ca. 1832– He also recommended that a history book be published on her 1923), the Queen Mother from the Asona royal life, personality, and the War of Resistance specifically. His sug- family of the Asante paramount state of Ejisu, gestions resulted in the 2002 publication of Yaa Asantewaa: An who took up arms to prevent the British from capturing the African Queen Who Led an Army to Fight the British by Asirifi Tsacred Golden Stool.1 This milestone produced several publica- Danquah, a veteran Ghanaian journalist.
    [Show full text]
  • AN INTIMATE REBUKE the Religious Cultures of African and African Diaspora ­People
    AN INTIMATE REBUKE The Religious Cultures of African and African Diaspora People Series editors: jacob k. olupona, harvard university, dianne m. stewart, emory university, and terrence l. johnson, georgetown university The book series examines the religious, cultural, and po liti cal expres- sions of African, African American, and African Ca rib bean traditions. Through transnational, cross- cultural, and multidisciplinary approaches to the study of religion, the series investigates the epistemic bound- aries of continental and diasporic religious practices and thought and explores the diverse and distinct ways African- derived religions inform culture and politics. The series aims to establish a forum for imagining the centrality of Black religions in the formation of the New World. AN INTIMATE REBUKE female genital power in ritual and politics in West Africa Laura S. Grillo • Duke University Press Durham and London 2018 © 2018 Duke University Press. All rights reserved Printed in the United States of Amer i ca on acid- free paper ∞ Designed by Courtney Leigh Baker Typeset in Garamond Premier Pro by Westchester Publishing Services Library of Congress Cataloging- in- Publication Data Names: Grillo, Laura S., [date] author. Title: An intimate rebuke : female genital power in ritual and politics in West Africa / Laura S. Grillo. Description: Durham : Duke University Press, 2018. | Series: The religious cultures of African and African diaspora people | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: lccn 2018008228 (print) | lccn 2018013660 (ebook) isbn 9781478002635 (ebook) isbn 9781478001201 (hardcover : alk. paper) isbn 9781478001553 (pbk. : alk. paper) Subjects: lcsh: Côte d’Ivoire— Religion. | Older women— Religious life— Côte d’Ivoire. | Older women— Political activity— Côte d’Ivoire.
    [Show full text]
  • Nana Yaa Asantewaa, the Queen Mother of Ejisu: the Unsung
    NANA YAA ASANTEWAA, THE QUEEN MOTHER OF EJISU: THE UNSUNG HEROINE OF FEMINISM IN GHANA BY NANA POKUA WIAFE MENSAH A thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts Department of Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education of the University of Toronto ©Copyright by Nana Pokua Wiafe Mensah (2010) NANA YAA ASANTEWAA, THE QUEEN MOTHER OF EJISU: THE UNSUNG HEROINE OF FEMINISM IN GHANA Nana Pokua Wiafe Mensah Master of Arts Sociology and Equity Studies in Education Ontario Institute for Studies in Education 2010 ABSTRACT This thesis examines the life story of Nana Yaa Asantewaa and its pedagogical implications for schooling and education in Ghana and Canada. Leadership role among women has been a topic in many debates for a long period. For many uninformed writers about the feminist struggles in Africa, Indigenous African women are docile bodies with little or no agencies and resistance power. However, the life history of Nana Yaa Asantewaa questions the legitimacy and accuracy of this misrepresentation of Indigenous African women. In 1900, Yaa Asantewaa led the Ashanti community in a war against the British imperial powers in Ghana. The role Yaa Asantewaa played in the war has made her the legend in history of Ghana and the feminist movement in Ghana. This dissertation examines the traits of Yaa Asantewaa and the pedagogic challenges of teaching Yaa Asantewaa in the public schools in Ghana and Canada. ii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to four important people in my life. Nana Wiafe Akenten III and Mrs.
    [Show full text]
  • Ashanti-Empire.Pdf
    Ashanti Empire 1 Ashanti Empire AsantemanAsante Union ← 1670–1902 → ← Asante Empire during the 19th century Capital Kumasi Language(s) Twi Religion Ancestor worship Government Monarchy King - 1670-1717 (first) Osei Tutu - 1888-1896 (last of indep. Asante) Prempeh I - 1999-present (sub-national within Ghana) Osei Tutu II [1] Legislature Asante Kotoko (Council of Kumasi) & the Asantemanhyiamu (National Assembly) History - Founded 1670 - Independence from Denkyira 1701 - British protectorate 1896 - Incorporation into Ghana 1957 - Dissolved 1902 Area [2] - 1874 259000 km2 (100000 sq mi) Population Ashanti Empire 2 [2] - 1874 est. 3000000 Density 11.6 /km2 (30 /sq mi) The Ashanti Empire or Asante Empire, also known as the Ashanti Confederacy or Asanteman (independent from 1701–1896), was a pre-colonial West African state created by the Akan people of what is now the Ashanti Region in Ghana. Their military power, which came from the usage of effective war strategies and an early adoption of European rifles, created an empire that stretched from central Ghana to present day Togo and Côte d'Ivoire, bordered by the Dagomba kingdom to the north and Dahomey to the east. Due to the empire's military prowess, sophisticated hierarchy, social stratification, and culture, the Ashanti empire had one of the largest historiographies by English sources of any indigenous sub-Saharan African polity. Today, the Ashanti monarchy continues as one of the constitutionally protected, sub-national traditional states within the Republic of Ghana. Origins The Ashanti or Asante are a major ethnic group in Ghana. They were a powerful, militaristic, and highly disciplined people of West Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • The Gyaman of Ghana and Côte D'ivoire In
    Vol. 5(7), pp. 177-189, November, 2013 DOI: 10.5897/JASD12.049 Journal of African Studies and ISSN 2141 -2189 ©2013 Academic Journals Development http://www.academicjournlas.org/JASD Full Length Research Paper The people the boundary could not divide: The Gyaman of Ghana and Côte D’ivoire in historical perspective Agyemang, Joseph Kwadwo1 and Ofosu-Mensah, Ababio Emmanuel2* 1Institute of African Studies, P.O. Box LG 73, University of Ghana, Legon, Accra-Ghana. 2Department of History, P.O. Box LG 12 University of Ghana, Legon, Accra-Ghana. Accepted 19 September, 2013 This article aims at constructing the history of the Gyaman state before colonial rule. It is the first in a series of three papers to be published in the Journal of African Studies and Development. The current paper shall interrogate the pre-colonial political structures that culminated in the formation of the Gyaman state. It also discusses the socio-politico-economic activities of the Gyaman people before colonial domination by both the British and the French. The discussion of the early history of Gyaman and its constitution is important as it sets the background for understanding the Gyaman people and their history of resilience and also sets the background for understanding subsequent modern issues confronting this great West African traditional state. Key words: Gyaman, Ghana, La Côte d’Ivoire, traditional, state. INTRODUCTION A version of their traditional account states that the fifteenth century. Traditions tell us that after the death of Gyaman people left Akwamu in the first decade of the the fifth Hemang ruler, succession disputes compelled a seventeenth century and lived in Suntreso, now a suburb section of the community led by Otumfo Asare to migrate of Kumasi as Dormaa people.
    [Show full text]
  • Akyemj C. 1700-1874 a STUDY in INTER-STATE RELATIONS in PRE-COLONIAL GOLD COAST Thesis Presented to the University of London
    AKYEMj c. 1700-1874 A STUDY IN INTER-STATE RELATIONS IN PRE-COLONIAL GOLD COAST Thesis presented to the University of London for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy by STEPHEN FRED AFFRIFAH JANUARY 1976. ProQuest Number: 11010458 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a com plete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. uest ProQuest 11010458 Published by ProQuest LLC(2018). Copyright of the Dissertation is held by the Author. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States C ode Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106- 1346 ABSTRACT During the first quarter of the eighteenth century and long after, Bosome led a politically unexciting life. In contrast, the other two Akyera states, Abuakwa and Kotoku, pursued an aggressive foreign policy and tightly guarded their independence against hostile neighbours. Between 1730 and 17^2 they acquired imperial domination over the eastern half of the Gold Coast west of the Volta. In 17^> however, Kotoku succumbed to Asante authority. Abuakwa resisted Asante but yielded to that power in 1783* The fall of the Akyem empire increased the area of Asante domination. The Asante yoke proved unbearable; consequently between 1810 and 1831 the Akyem states, as members of an Afro-European alliance, fought a successful war of independence against that power.
    [Show full text]
  • Material Beginnings of the Saramaka Maroons: an Archaeological Investigation
    MATERIAL BEGINNINGS OF THE SARAMAKA MAROONS: AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION By CHERYL N. NGWENYAMA A DISSERTATION PRESENTED TO THE GRADUATE SCHOOL OF THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA 2007 1 © 2007 Cheryl N. Ngwenyama 2 To my grandmother and friend Merlin Coombs 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First, I must thank Father God for bringing me thus far and keeping me of sound mind and body. Because of Your will I have prospered. Iwould like to acknowledge my supervisory committee members and most constant mentors on this journey Dr. Peter Schmidt for telling me in that uncertain first year to “follow my heart”, words I professionally lived by for the next seven years. I thank Dr. E. Kofi Agorsah for reigniting my desire for fieldwork and helping me realize my vision in the profession of archaeology. Kofi Agorsah made Suriname possible for me and for that he will always be warmly regarded. I thank Dr. Michael Heckenberger for always taking the project a step further and forcing me to follow. Dr. Marieke Heemskerk of the Amazon Conservation Team, Suriname branch, has been an important guiding force, as well as a colleague and friend. She has helped me immensely in the logistics of accomplishing all aspects of field research, from funding and professional liaisons to camp sweeping and backfilling and I am ever grateful. Recent additions to my committee include Drs. James Davidson and Abe Goldman. They gave their collegial support when it mattered most and were instrumental to the completion of my writing.
    [Show full text]
  • Akan Studies Council [ASC] Newsletter, No. 1
    AKAN STUDIES COUNCIL NEWSLETTER NUMBER 1 September 1989 CO-CHAIRS' STATEMENT This first issue of the Newsletter is being sent by to everyone on the original list, as we really do Judith Timyan and want to include the widest audience possible. Raymond A. Silverman However, beginning with the next issue only mem­ bers (i.e. those who have returned a completed Here, finally, is the first issue of the Akan questionnaire) will receive Akan Studies Council Studies Council Newsletter. As we promised, we correspondence. What we are really after is have made Akan history the thematic focus of this information on the scholars, specialists and gen­ inaugural issue, with statements on the current eral audience who make up the Akan constituency, state of research in the various regions. We would so this is not intended as an exclusionary move like to thank Robert Addo-Fening, Jean-Noel but rather as an incentive for you to send in your Loucou, Gareth Austin, Dolly Maier, Jean-Pierre completed questionnaires. Chauveau and Claude-Helene Perrot for taking the As stated in our earlier correspondence, it is time to prepare their state-of-the-field statements. due to the generosity of Peter Shinnie, who has The inevitable difficulties involved in getting a agreed to bear the cost of duplicating and mailing new organization started are undoubtedly com­ the Newsletter, that we do not have to request pounded by the facts that we are addressing a dues from all of our members at this point in time. multi-national, multi-regional membership and are Nevertheless, it was decided at the 1988 Akan attempting to make the Newsletter bilingual.
    [Show full text]
  • African Architecture and Identity: the 19Th Century Asante Palace in Kumasi, Ghana Jpg.Image
    African Architecture and Identity: The 19th CenturyAsante Palace in Kumasi, Ghana Making And Meaning Royal Palace Structure of Memory • ®c•l'U @coy ® '"""' -, o-- The making of objects and symbols in �. .., ....\ i - -iez,.-- society since antiquity define the purpose . w, > - Raiffly of existence in many cultures all over the I --• ✓ F...,., f .,...,_ Riwr world. Making was the fundamental idea ,. \ r,"' E<>.ndxJ ' Algeriu I of communicating the intangible elements I Libya \ Egy p( ,.) \ )�TCC-am_,..��4Yenli ,:_;.---., of the mind into tangible objects of mean­ } ing The Asante used gold the plentiful .5' i L earth mineral of the region to create ele­ ._ Bate '\ ' .....· ments of wealth, power and spirituality of IVORY\ \, TOG 0 the culture. The most significant objects -,., ... of the Ghanaian people are the Golden ) ( Stool and the Kente Cloth. They relay a .- I message to the people to create unity in ·' the nation. The Golden Stool and the Asantehiene Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh II wearing a kente clothrobe. The Golden Stool, which takes precedence of the Asantehene, is Atlm1til' O,:-i_•,111 Scychclll-s I lying on its side on its own chair of state the upper surface facingthe spectators. ( Ward, 1958) - M3uritius • The Golden Stool. Sika Dwa Kofi, has RCunion been the symbol of power in Asante '- Ghana Kingdom since the 17th century. Accord­ • GVLF 01' • Palaceof Asante King Kumasi Ghana destroyed by the British in 1896 • G I.J INEA ing to oral tradition, Okomfo Anokye, a • • • (Lisapo Ya Kama, 2020). Lcso1hO • • High Priest and one of the two founders Y_ \ \ I .. •?f[fl • • • .
    [Show full text]