West Africa Trade Project (WATP)
Year: 1970
Archaeological Sites
Begho-Hani
The site was an urban-settlement with a population of approximately 7000-10000 people. It was organized into six distinct quarters namely the Brong quarter, the Kramo quarter, the market quarter, the Nyarko quarter, the Dapaa and the Dwinfuor quarter.
Subsites (Locus) covered
Nyarko (NY1)
Dwinfour Quarter
Brong Quarter (B1)
Kramo Quarter
Mumute
Atwetwebooso
Excavations
Site Covered: Mumute
Excavation Date: July 23, 1972
Excavation Duration (in days): 48
Excavation Coordinates: N/A
Excavation Procedure: Excavations at the Mumute site started in 1972 and ran till 1974. The Mumute site is situated southeast of Begho, near the headwaters of the Mumute Stream. It lies in an open grassland area with scattered small trees, except for the gallery forest lining the stream valley. In 1972, excavations were carried out in three areas: the main site, a stone square approximately 46 meters north of the main site and closer to the stream, and a cutting made following the discovery of a 'rasp' fragment, located a few meters south of the main site. A total of 26 excavation units were completed, including 20 two-meter squares and 6 half units. Most excavations reached the gravelly layer overlying the hard laterite bedrock.
Artifacts Recovered: Pottery, polished stone axes, stone 'rasps', grooved stones, stone bracelets, three (3) pieces of bones, and three (3) pieces of iron.
Site Covered: Brong Quarter (B2)
Excavation Date: July 23, 1972
Excavation Duration (in days): 48
Excavation Coordinates: N/A
Excavation Procedure: A 3m grid system was laid out and a total of 16 units were excavated. A metre wide trench, 19m long and divided into 7 units was cut across the site in an east-west direction to test the stratigraphy. The other 9 units were 2 m-square. The top soil was removed from all the units initially to ascertain the form of the collapsed structure.
Artifacts Recovered: Artifacts recovered include pottery (some 27,800 sherds characterized by burnishing and red slipping), 31 tobacco pipe fragments, 1,655 pieces of iron slag, 8 fragments of ivory objects, 14 pieces of copper alloy (including finger rings, wiro and parts of earrings), 21 glass beads, 1 triangular-shaped carnelian bead, a small rectangular piece of coloured glass, 5 spindle whorls, stone grinders, polishing stones, querns and 1,160 pieces of bone.
Site Covered: Dwinfour Quarter
Excavation Date: March 19, 1972
Excavation Duration (in days): 19
Excavation Coordinates: N/A
Excavation Procedure: A 3m grid was laid out over a wide and five 2-metre square units excavated.
Artifacts Recovered: The site was singularly poor in finds and no burials were found. A cistern 3.60m deep, slightly bolling out towards the bottom and with eleven well-cut toeholds were associated with the house excavated. Pottery was discovered along with few beads and one piece of drain pipe.
Surface Surveys
No surveys recorded.