Gatsby Default Starter

Kintampo complex is the period in prehistory that saw the transition to sedentism in West Africa, specifically Ghana and parts of eastern Côte d'Ivoire that began sometime between 2500-1400 BCE. Besides being a classic example of early forest dwellers in west Africa, Kintampo is significant because there is evidence of a drastic change in food production techniques due to the transition from nomadic hunter-gather lifestyles to life in stationary settlements. This change is…

The Mali Empire was an empire in West Africa from c. 1230 to 1670. The empire was founded by Sundiata Keita and became renowned for the wealth of its rulers, especially Musa Keita. The Manding languages were spoken in the empire. It was the largest empire in West Africa and profoundly influenced the culture of West Africa through the spread of its language, laws and customs. The empire began as a small Mandinka kingdom at the upper reaches of the Niger River, centred around…

The Kingdom of Dagbon is a traditional kingdom in northern Ghana founded by the Dagomba people in the 15th century. The First Kingdom of Dagbon, from the mid 15th century to the late 17th century, is known to history almost entirely through oral tradition, especially drum chant. The Second Kingdom, from around 1700 to 1900, is better known, because, in addition to drum chant, there are other sources of information, some of them independent of events in Dagbon itself. Oral…

Akwamu (also called Akuambo) was a state set up by Akan people (in present-day Ghana) that flourished in the 17th and 18th centuries. The name was also applied to its people. Originally emigrating from Bono state, the Akan founders settled in Twifo-Heman. The Akwamu led an expansionist empire in the 17th and 18th centuries. At the peak of their empire, the Akan created an influential culture that has contributed to at least three countries in West Africa. Akwamus are the…

The Ashanti Empire (also spelled Asante) was an Akan empire and kingdom in what is now modern-day Ghana from 1670 to 1957. The empire also encompassed parts of modern day Côte d'Ivoire and Togo. The empire was known for its military prowess, wealth, architecture, sophisticated hierarchy and culture. The Ashanti state, in effect, was a theocracy. The election of Kings and the Asantehene (King of Kings or emperor ) himself followed a pattern. The senior female of the kingly…