Preliminary report on excavations at Fort Amsterdam, Abandze, Central Region, Ghana

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Periodical article

Title:	Preliminary report on excavations at Fort Amsterdam, Abandze, Central Region, Ghana
Author:	Boachie-Ansah, J.
Year:	2010
Periodical:	Journal of environment and culture (ISSN 1597-2755)
Volume:	7
Issue:	2
Pages:	14-49
Language:	English
Geographic term:	Ghana
Subjects:	archaeological artefacts fortifications slavery 1700-1799
Abstract:	The rescue excavation reported in this paper was conducted in Abandze, Central Region of Ghana, in 2006. It aimed at retrieving data likely to be destroyed by the proposed restoration of Fort Amsterdam. The Fort was constructed in 1682 to serve as a slave prison, storerooms for trade goods and living quarters for European permanent commercial and military staff. Among the finds were locally manufactured pottery, European and Chinese glazed pottery, locally manufactured clay smoking pipes, pieces of asbestos, roofing tiles, glass beads, shells and bones. Most of the finds are dated to the 18th century. Broken bottles seem to be accumulated refuse produced from the consumptions from the inmates in the Fort. This suggests that enslaved Africans in the Fort were also given alcohol to 'lift up their spirits'. In general, the finds from Fort Amsterdam explain the nature of relationships between European slave dealers in Africa and African inmates in many of the slave forts on Africa's west coast. Bibliogr., sum. [ASC Leiden abstract]