Making History in Banda Anthropological Visions of Africa's Past [Paperback]

Stahl explores the theoretical and methodological issues confronting our understanding of Africa's past.Drawing on evidence from several disciplines, Ann Brower Stahl reconstructs the daily lives of Banda villagers of west central Ghana, from the time that they were drawn into the Niger trade (around 1300 AD) until British overrule was established early in the twentieth century. The case study aims to closely integrate perspectives drawn from archaeology, history and anthropology in African studies.Drawing on evidence from several disciplines, Ann Brower Stahl reconstructs the daily lives of Banda villagers of west central Ghana, from the time that they were drawn into the Niger trade (around 1300 AD) until British overrule was established early in the twentieth century. The case study aims to closely integrate perspectives drawn from archaeology, history and anthropology in African studies.Drawing on evidence from several disciplines, Ann Brower Stahl reconstructs the daily lives of Banda villagers of west central Ghana, from the time that they were drawn into the Niger trade (around 1300 AD) until British overrule was established early in the twentieth century. The case study aims to closely integrate perspectives drawn from archaeology, history and anthropology in African studies.List of figures; List of Plates; List of tables; Preface; 1. Refracted visions of Africa's past; 2. Envisioning Africa's lived past; 3. The past in the present: history-making in Banda; 4. The political-economic context; 5. Local life in the context of the Niger trade c.13001700; 6. The changing social fields of Banda villagers c.17251825; 7. The changing social fields of Banda villagers c.18251925; 8. Reflections: historical anthropology and the construction of Africa's past; Notes; References; Index. ...a provactive engagement of the multiple layers of tensions in interdisciplinary approaches to historical scholarship, and an eloquent demonstration of the importance of archaeology il³~