9410726 Stahl, Anne With National Science Foundation support Dr. Ann Stahl and her colleagues will conduct two field seasons of archaeological and ethnographic research in the Banda region in west central Ghana. The history and prehistory of the Banda peoples can be clearly traced back to the 17th Century AD. Oral tradition and written documents indicate four distinct forms of political organization over that period. From an essentially independent base, they were first conquered and incorporated into the Ashante Kingdom. In the 19th century they became part of the British empire and subject to indirect British rule. Finally they were incorporated into independent Ghana. Dr. Stahl wishes to examine how the social, political and economic organization changed across these periods and will employ ethnographic and archaeological, as well as archival data in her research. She will focus on the timing and impact of New World crops on subsistence ecology; the changing uses over time of wild and domestic fauna; changes in ceramic production to address the impact of external exchange networks on craft specialization; and document the role of exchange in the local economy. To achieve these goals she will conduct extensive interview with Banda people and observe present day manufacturing and subsistence practices. She will also excavate a series of known sites with span this time period and are direct historical antecedents of the present day Banda village in which she will work. This research is important for several reasons. First, it will provide data of interest to many Africanist archaeologists. Secondly, it will constitute a basic contribution to world systems theory. Social scientists have come to realize that small scale, third world societies have long and complex histories. Through examination of specific cases it is possible to gain insight into processes of adaptation and change and to elucidate the mechanisms which societies employ to survive in a changing world. The project includes several students and will contribute directly to their scientific training.
