INDIVIDUAL  RESEARCH REPORTS

46.

ARCHAEOLOGY

Report on  the departmental  work  carried  out  while  on

trek  from 3rd August  -  5th  September  1965.

The site  of  Jakpasere  is about  one  mile  north-east  of  Grunshi
Zongo  which  is three  miles  south of  Salaga. 
Its  importance  in  Gonja
history  lies  in  the  fact  that  it  is believed  to  have been Jakpas1  'Shea
Butter  Palace1.  A  plan  of  the  site  was made and photographs  and
sketches were  taken of  the  remaining  standing  walls. 
It  is hoped  that
in  the  near  future  a small  trench  will  be dug across the site  to  test  the
stratification.

The  Gonja  Tower-house  complex  at  Butie  was mapped and
contoured.  This site  lies on  the  Mangpa-Mpaha  road and  is one  of
numerous mound sites within  the general  area of  the  confluence  of  the
White  and Black  Volta.  The  three  major mounds were all  over  sixteen
feet  high and  in  close  association  with  ponds,  bilegas,  and several
adjoining  smaller  mounds.  On  the  top of one of  the  larger mounds,
exposed timber  supports,  and a  collapsed,  partially  decomposed, mud-
brick  wall  seem to  indicate  a  relative  recent abandonment of  the  site.
Whether  this  late  occupation  took  the  form and function  of  earlier
periods of  occupation  remains to be  revealed by  excavation.

The two  ends of  the  base  line  were  cemented  in a place  which

will  subsequently  allow  for  further  refinement  in  the map ond a  permanent
control  for  latter  excavation.

During  the  stay  in  Zongoiri, between  the White  and Red Volta,  four

Kusasi  pots were  purchased and are  now  in  the ethnographical  collection
(of  the  Archaeology  Department).

47.

INDIVIDUAL  RESEARCH REPORTS

A quick  survey of the walls at  Nalerigu  (four miles east of

Gambaga)  was taken as well  as several  photographs of the condition
of the  remaining standing walls.

Gwolu ,  in the Upper Region, was visited and a brief

examination  was made of both the  inner and outer walls.  Several
photographs were taken which will  be  included  in« a brief  report to
the  National  Museum on the  required preservation of these and the
other mentioned walls of  Northern  Ghana.

A musical  instrument  "Cheng" (isale),  which appears to be a

type of reed harp was purchased and is now  in the  Department of 
Archaeology.

,

The  rock-gong at  Chiang/ sixteen miles west of  Navrongo, was
visited,  and subsequent  inquiries produced some information concerning
the existence of several caves which appear to be associated with other
rock-gongs.

The walls at  Ulu about twenty-three  miles east of  Lawra appear

to be almost completely  denuded but some information as to their nature was
obtained  from the elders.

The  remains of pottery pavement on an old habitation site  in the

Chaa valley,  Burufu, was examined and photographed.

The  rock-gong and rock-slide  Sankana, seven miles west of the

Wa-Lawra  road, was examined and photographed.  Rock specimens were
taken from the  rock-gong and other associated rock types for  petrological
examination.

INDIVIDUAL  RESEARCH REPORTS

48.

A  sample of  thickly  scattered pottery  was taken along  the
Chache-Ferry  road which  is the  approach across the  Black  Volta
to  Bouna.  This  is now  in  the  Department's  collection.

A  visit  to  the  Tong  Hills  was made where  the  presence  of

pottery  pavement  was noted  in  several  of  the  compounds at  Tengzugu.
A  brief  visit  was made  to  the  Tongo shrine  in  the  accompaniment  of
the  Tendana and elders of  Tengzugu.

(Much of  the above  work  was  done  in  close  collaboration  with
J.  Goody  and several  short  joint  notes on some of  this work  will  be out
at  a  later  date).

R.W.  Mathewson

A  NOTE ON  PRESS-ARCHIVES  RESEARCH AS
AN  APPROACH  TO WEST AFRICAN  HISTORY

Many  of  those  currently  working  in  the  fruitful  field of West

African  history  have  for  many years now been discovering a  particularly
rich  mine of  primary  source  material. 
It  lies dispersed at  various  points
in  the archival  world,  in  the  form of  collections of  the  old  journals  and
newspapers  produced  in  or dealing  with  the various ex-British  colonies,
as well  as Liberia 1.

1. 

But not  the  French-language  areas,  to the  same extent.  See
Pere J.  de  Benoist:  "The  position  of  the  Press in  French-speaking
West A f r i c a ",  in  Report on The  Press in West Africa,  produced by
the Committee  on  Inter-African  Relations,  and circulated  by  the
.' Extra-Mural  Department,  University  College,  Ibadan,  Nigeria,

1960.

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