Archaeological Perspectives of the Danish-Dangbe Encounter along the Eastern Coastal Belt of Ghana and their Implications for Understanding Dangbe Culture

Abstract

This research presents results of historical archaeological investigations undertaken along the eastern coastal belt of Ghana on how the Danish- Dangbe encounter which spanned circa, 1650–1800, shaped the socioeconomic history of the indigenous Dangbe who occupied the area. Data for the study was derived primarily from archaeological, historical and ethno-historical investigations conducted at Kpone, Prampram, Sega and Ningo. The study revealed that European cuisines, dress codes, weaponry and architecture constituted some major material culture embraced by the ancestors of the Dangbe. The large quantum and wide array of European trade goods recovered from the excavations is also evident of the importance of commercial relations that developed between the two groups during the period